Manage a UX team that supports Merchant users with products designed to ensure products are easily accessible for customers. Establish UX design team models and design processes. Support optimizing product sales by ensuring Merchandising Assortment and Space Management products are designed to user needs, wants and expectations.

Provide mentorship during the Design Labs UX certification program. Guide aspiring UXers in the filed of User Experience and help prepare them for interviews and career changes.

Joined Rocket Companies (Rocket Mortgage) as a Staff Service Designer in an emerging Human-Centered Design practice. Primarily focused on setting strategic direction on holistic product endeavors with the goal of customer acquisitions for mortgages. Played a key contributing role in company acquisition assessment and strategic direction. • Key contributor in shaping the experience design strategy of the $1.3B Truebill (Rocket Money) acquisition through human-centered, service design methods.MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT: Setting the strategic vision for TrueBill budget application, acquisition strategy which provided a blueprint for a future state experience that would better prepare consumers for home lending by helping them managing their spending.

Spearhead key customer experience initiatives and provide strategic vision across multiple channels within the company enabling opportunities to provide more effective products. Liaise between various business stakeholders driving customer-centric understanding through Design Thinking and Service Design methodologies that define customer needs and expectations, business value, goals and measurables.• Lead CX strategies that assess Enterprise P&C modernization efforts and align product areas to ensure a seamless transition for the State Farm customer.• Facilitate Design Thinking and Service Design workshops with stakeholders across multiple areas of the business.• Develop customer personas, customer experience journey maps, storyboards and design concepts to provide strategic vision and influence product roadmaps.• Responsible for scoping, detailing effort, defining resource allocation and leading execution across the entire design process including research, information architecture, content strategy, visual design, and usability testing.• Utilize Agile and Scrum strategies across all UX functions to drive continuous process improvements. • Recognized for exceptional leadership and partnership at high levels within the business helping to mature the customer-centered design practice by introducing the use of customer personas and journeys maps within State Farm Bank. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: State Farm Bank Personas, Mobile-Only Banking App Strategy, Vehicle Loan Application Modernization, Rewards Credit Card Application, Loyalty and Rewards Program, and P&C Modernization Experience Strategy.

User Experience Lead for State Farm Digital, providing user-centered design collaboration toward the execution of product team requirements. • Led a cross-disciplinary team in the design of experiences for State Farm Bank• Served as the primary liaison between the UX Team and Product Team• Collaborated closely with UX Researchers, UX Architects, UX Design, Content Strategist, Product Managers/Owners, IT Architects, System Architects, Development and Compliance to optimize digital user experience and promote mobile first philosophy• Worked with Product Owners to define product vision, mission, goals, objectives, and KPIs• Utilized Lead/Agile UX practices, Scrum, Backlogs, User Stories/Scenarios, Sprint etc• Leverage design thinking to help push out ideas and execution• Outline strategies for Mobile Banking, organize Persona development, provided competitive analysis• Provide hands-on UX architecture and designMAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: State Farm Bank Credit Card Application, Loyalty & Reward Program, Vehicle Loans, Mobile App Concepts, Supporting Documentation/Verification, Persona Strategies/Concepts

Led a large user experience design initiative for a leading term life insurance and financial services company. Delivered strategic support to advance the company’s user-centered design, development, and implementation efforts. Planned and managed the execution of a mobile training resource delivered to 1500+ corporate staff and 90K+ field sales reps.• Organized, planned, documented and managed mobile user experience for the Communications department.• Led a project that integrated with an IBM mobile content management software solution.• Provided plans to measure user engagement, review and iteratively improve experiences.• Introduced user research, face-to-face evaluations, surveys, person, journey maps and task analysis.• Provided hand-on user experience design, wireframes, rapid prototyping and usability testing.• Document measurement plans, goals, KPIs, targets, segments and reports• Recognized for advancing user experiences, Login Process, Navigation, Search, and Downloading Training

Tasked with developing the foundation of user-centered design for a SaaS startup solution company. Established user-centered research, study, and interview methods to identify usability concerns within the product and created a strategy for addressing and resolving any issues. Managed the design and execution of online marketing and conference materials.• Designed a mobile-responsive update for Membersuite.com to boost company sales and marketing initiatives. • Implemented Lean and Agile methodologies to stabilize products and drive additional improvements.

Orchestrated the creation and implementation of the company’s first B2C e-commerce experience. Managed the full product management cycle conception to sustainability. Directed and coached a team of web developers responsible for all web-based B2B and B2C applications. Led user-centered focus on e-commerce design efforts. • Developed strategic direction for design, development and execution of the e-commerce initiative.• Generated requirements, identified supporting systems and processes, procured resources and aligned internal team members to the project.• Successfully managed a comprehensive UX design process, including wireframes, visual designs, and prototypes.• Managed a team of 3 direct reports responsible for the delivery of design specification and development.• Directly collaborated with leadership to drive marketing strategy, launch plans, and revenue-generating efforts.• Recognized for critical work in launching a new e-commerce design in just eight months and under budget. • Enabled an increase in online sales from $5,000-$10,000 monthly to $30,000-$50,000. • Launched a mobile responsive e-commerce website with 80+ products and thousands of potential configurations.

Delivered key design support for user-driven implementations across the company’s e-commerce platform. Managed visual design projects while simultaneously leading and mentoring a team of direct reports. Oversaw the design and implementation of marketing campaigns. • Played an integral role in enabling the company to receive a 2010 and 2013 Hot 100 e-commerce award. • Successfully launched the flagship iPad app Ballard Plus with four iterations through 2012. • Guided numerous additional IBM commerce and web content management integrations.

Provided multi-channel design and front-end development support to the e-biz marketing department of a large multi-channel marketing company offering numerous services and products. Deployed internal B2B technology solutions. Created and deployed strategies that ensured ongoing compliance with standards and utilization of industry best practices to enhance efforts. • Oversaw the design and execution of multiple internal projects, including landing page design, email campaign development, and microsite design and execution. • Led initial stakeholder meetings to gain client insights and ultimately develop targeted marketing support methods.• Produced and updated multi-channel projects, including a successful translation of print brands into web format. • Recognized for work on key projects, including CalCoast.edu and a large e-biz department web content project. • Created multi-channel marketing strategies that enabled holistic customer experiences that supported acquisitions for various financial institutions and schools.

Advanced marketing and design initiatives for a leading multi-channel home furnishing retailer. Collaborated across the creative and marketing departments to set, guide, and continuously refine web design strategy to boost business footprint. • Facilitated planning meetings to develop visual design and online marketing options, including 3D modeling. • Utilized HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and ActionScript to enable ongoing front-end development. • Recognized for work on key projects including ballarddesigns.com and ballardstylestudio.com. • Played a critical role in growing email marketing by nearly 500K list numbers.