Experience

 
 

My Goal

My goal is to channel my ingenuity, contagious enthusiasm, strategic insight, and relentless energy into future-proofing organizations. I help businesses adapt, grow, and thrive through the power of design.

 

About

I’m a high-achieving activator who loves to solve problems, takes serious ownership of responsibilities, is committed to honesty, loyalty, and fairness, DE&I, and who loves to be part of winning teams. I can lead an army with an intoxicating vision and a great tactical plan. I aim for excellence and love being part of winning teams who hold themselves accountable to exceptional standards. Go big or go home.

I have over 15 years of experience in fintech, cloud-computing, enterprise software, and VC sectors. Expert in leveraging design to drive product innovation, with a proven track record of launching impactful startups and enhancing customer experiences through strategic leadership. Passionate about building inclusive products and fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Skilled in navigating fast-paced environments and driving transformational change through user-centricity.

SKILLS

  • Strategic Leadership & Innovation

  • Product Management & Strategy

  • Cross-functional Leadership

  • Customer-Centric Product Development

  • Data-Driven Decision Making (North Star Metric)

  • Agile & Lean Methodologies

  • UX/UI Design & User Research

  • Design Thinking & Service Design

  • Brand & Design Strategy

  • Culture Development & DE&I Advocacy

 
 

Work Experience

 
platform logo

Chief Product Officer

Oct 2020 - Present

Transitioned from design to product leadership, overseeing product strategy, development, and management for 10+ impact startups.

Implemented "North Star Metric" methodology, promoting a data-driven culture.

Spearheaded DE&I efforts, enhancing product accessibility and inclusivity.

Chief Design Officer

JAN 2022 - Dec 2023

(Head of Design from Oct 2020-Dec 2021)

I help founders build the right thing, at the right, for the right people. I act as the driving force, guiding founders from conceptual dreams to tangible businesses. From initial research to product launch, I oversee diverse aspects of our product and design trajectory, including UXR, UX, UI, designOps, product design and strategy, product management, project management, and low code development.

  • Venture Creation: Successfully shepherded over seven companies (and counting) from discovery to launch, highlighting a holistic and results-oriented approach

  • Strategic Metrics: Spearhead the integration of the “North Star Metric” methodology, anchoring our ventures to a clear, data-driven success path // 90% uptick in team alignment and a 40% increase in monthly KPI achievement rates.

  • DE&I Advocate: Act as the decisive voice behind our diversity, equity, and inclusivity efforts, underlining a commitment to a rich and ethical organizational fabric.

  • Transformational Design Leadership: Ensure that a harmonized design ecosystem (UXR, UX, UI, and product design) plays a pivotal role in aligning and connecting other org pillars

  • Product Mastery: Delivered strategic direction in product design and management, marrying business objectives with market realities.

  • Operational Efficiency: Streamlined venture operations and project management practices, enhancing delivery timelines and quality.

  • Innovative Development: Championed low-code development strategies, facilitating swift and efficient product rollouts // An impressive 90% of our startup concepts were successfully launched in a record time of just 6 weeks

 
 

clients/partners

UI / UX / Design Strategy

2016-2020

Notable client work:

  • Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows: Designed a seamless user experience across Squaw’s ecosystem of devices (native mobile apps and Apple Watch app) from the ground up

  • Jackson Hole Mountain Resort: Created a geolocation-based, personalized UX with engaging gamification features

  • Bite Beauty: Translated brand vision into a modular design system that includes visual elements, design patterns, content tonality, and animation principles

  • Kendo: Created ADA compliant UI with content standards for all of Kendo’s house of brands (i.g. KVD Vegan Beauty, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Ole Henriksen Skincare, Bite Beauty, and Lip Lab by Bite)

  • Bank of the West BNP Paribas: Designed responsive microsite to align with conversion goals; UI flexibility accommodated multi-language content

 
 

Westfield Labs | Design Director

2013-2015

  • Drove the development of a design system from the ground up in a Lean UX + Agile environment while applying it to a global platform migration project (Adobe Experience Manager), creating design alignment and spearheading brand stewardship across the global organization

  • I steered a global team (U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Australia) of front-end developers, designers/creatives, and researchers in the development of the service design, environmental design, and digital design for the Westfield Dine-on-Time app, a first-to-market food ordering and delivery service

  • Westfield Dine-on-Time Collateral

  • Dine-on-Time iOS App

  • Analytics Dashboard Design

  • Service Design

  • Global Brand Vision & Services Strategy

 
 

Salesforce | Sr. UI Designer

2011-2013

  • I conceived a novel business framework to drive innovation and a new business model at Salesforce. My proposal, Salesforce Ignite, represents a catalyst service that engages executive leaders in the exploration and initial prototyping of nascent business endeavors

  • I facilitated design thinking innovation workshops with C-level executives from Fortune 500 companies, leading to the discovery of new growth opportunities for both the client and Salesforce.com

  • I served as the design lead for B2B2C iOS and web apps for high-profile clients such as Bombardier, Blue Shield of CA, and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. Throughout the process, I ensured alignment and approval from executive stakeholders

 
 

Wells Fargo | Sr. Visual Designer

2010-2011

  • Worked strategically with online marketing partners and researchers in ideation, problem solving, and concept testing of product enhancements

  • Designed Cash Flow Monitor, a first-to-market banking tool for millions of consumers alongside a content strategist, front-end developer and UX designer; expanded the UI standards with new design patterns

  • Designed the first Wells Fargo Answers online community and multiple line of business microsites that evolved the visual design language

  • Enhanced the user experience of ATM machines for the blind

 
 

Clifton Strengths

 
 

Let’s connect

Interested in learning more? Hit me up 👇 and let’s talk.