Professional
From English Lit to Graphic Design
We all have a story about how we got here—especially in the field of UX design. Mine began with an English Lit degree at the University of Virginia, was shaped by work in communications, and greatly influenced by my job as a graphic designer.
From Graphic Design to UX
All of this has led me to the point in my career where I’m ready to design satisfying and friendly experiences for users as we dive deeper into this digital world. A user-centric approach to designing isn’t just a box to check off. It’s an integral part of making the world a more manageable place.
Working in a DC association’s communications department has ingrained in me the importance of visual communication. As designers, we can no longer simply “make things pretty.” We must think of as our audiences think, delivering content and message in the easiest, most accessible way.
From UX to Product
Along the way, I worked with an amazing team of software engineers and developers to bring my UX designs to life. I wanted to help influence the longer-term experience of the products and services that we were building in-house. When the opportunity to help commercialize and sell our in-house volunteer management system came up, I jumped at it. Six years later, Lineup thrives not only as the VMS that it was initially built as, but has continued to evolve as a SaaS product.
Personal
I live outside of Washington, DC with my wife, Cyndi, our two children, and our two cats. In my free time, I love playing board games (if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Uwe Rosenberg’s A Feast for Odin). I also love to rock climb, getting into it around the time I transitioned into UX. I love the physical puzzle-solving involved when approaching a new climbing route.