Design for Impact
I lead design teams building complex products. My work focuses on evolving them without breaking how people work, growing strong teams and leaders, and introducing AI in ways people can trust.
Leadership
Examples of how I've led teams, shaped direction, and helped organizations work more effectively.
Design Leadership & Strategy
How I've tied design to business outcomes by shaping vision, aligning teams around real impact, and building frameworks that keep design calibrated over time.
›3 Examples: Infor · Cisco
Create a Clear Vision with Effective Storytelling
Setting a clear vision and ensuring it's well-communicated is fundamental.
Example: At Infor, I articulated a vision of "beautiful enterprise experiences," arguing that ERP software should be pleasurable, not just functional. That philosophy guided the re-imagination of Infor's product suite and became a key differentiator in the enterprise software market.
Clear Impact Awareness & Goal Alignment
Ensuring each team member understands their impact on the organization and customer experience is vital.
Example: At Cisco, while developing a new AI platform, I used an evidence-based design methodology with rigorous prototyping and user feedback. Clear goal-setting and continuous performance assessments kept the team aligned with user needs and business objectives.
Foster Skill Frameworks & Calibration
A well-defined skills framework keeps performance evaluations consistent across dimensions like vision, systems thinking, communication, and accountability.
Example: At Cisco, I implemented a detailed calibration approach with feedback from cross-functional partners like engineers and PMs, and defined clear team goals aligned to the company's strategic objectives.
Designing for AI & Autonomous Agents
The patterns, principles, and tooling I've built so teams can ship agent-driven features with consistency and user trust.
›Case Study: HAX Framework at Cisco
My approach to agentic design leadership
Shared behavioral principles: Humans maintain control, agent reasoning stays visible, and accountability remains clear across products.
Reusable SDKs and components: Teams use consistent patterns for explainability, control, and handoff instead of building workflows from scratch.
Trust through consistency: Establish design rules that connect to engineering tooling, so teams ship agent features users can actually trust.
Case Study:
HAX: An open standard for human-agent collaboration at Outshift by Cisco
I led the creation of HAX, a unified framework for designing, building, and governing meaningful human-agent collaboration. It connects five design principles (Control, Clarity, Collaboration, Recovery, Traceability) to an SDK and component library, giving teams a shared language and practical toolkit for AI-driven interactions.
HAX shipped as an open standard and is being considered for adoption across multiple product teams at Cisco.
Evidence-Based Design
How I shift teams away from opinion-driven decisions toward rigorous validation, testing hypotheses before, not after, building.
›Case Study: Cisco
I have developed an evidence-based design approach that is centered around rigorous validation of hypotheses and continuous user engagement throughout the product development lifecycle. This comprehensive design process, which includes discovery, prototyping, and validation phases, ensures each hypothesis is rigorously tested and iterated upon based on user feedback and data.
Case Study:
Building an Innovation Design Process at Cisco's Outshift team
At Outshift, the mission was clear: Shift from a "build first, ask questions later" mentality to a structured, evidence-guided framework. I first helped re-establish design as a cornerstone of product development, integral from the outset and not just a final touch on aesthetics and usability. By promoting early and frequent collaboration between designers, product managers, and developers, we streamlined the design process to focus sharply on delivering key value outcomes.
Impact Metrics & Performance
Measuring outcomes, not outputs. I focus on how design actually moves the metrics that matter: adoption, retention, conversion.
›Case Study: Skills Framework for a Next-Gen Design Team
My approach is centered around measuring outcomes rather than outputs. I prioritize understanding how our designs influence user behaviors and drive key business metrics like adoption, retention, and conversion. Instead of focusing solely on the completion of tasks or features, I emphasize the importance of telemetry and data analysis to gauge the real-world impact of our work.
Case Study:
Building a Skills Framework for a Next-Gen Design Team
Across my entire career I have encouraged my design team members to develop a strong strategic mindset by involving them in the early stages of product development. This includes understanding the broader business objectives, market landscape, and user needs. I have developed a skills framework to help calibrate designers to align with the business' needs. This includes analyzing areas like the designer's strategic and collaboration abilities as well as their impact and effectiveness.
Human-Centered Design
The principles I rely on to keep research, prototyping, and real collaboration at the core of how teams build products.
›5 Principles for applied HCD practice
Empathy & Research
To deeply understand the user, I prioritize extensive research, including interviews, surveys, ethnographic studies, and usability tests to gather insights into the users' needs, behaviors, pain points, and aspirations.
Co-Creation Workshops
Involving users in the design process through co-creation workshops and participatory design sessions. This ensures solutions are grounded in real user experiences and expectations.
Rapid Prototyping & Iteration
HCD is inherently iterative. I advocate for rapid prototyping and iterative testing to validate ideas quickly and refine solutions based on user feedback.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Successful HCD relies on collaboration across different functions. I ensure that designers work closely with product managers, engineers, marketers, and other stakeholders.
Feedback & Continuous Improvement
Post-launch, it's essential to continue gathering data on how users interact with the product. Using telemetry and other feedback tools, we monitor user behavior and make informed decisions.
Innovation & Incubation
How I've led invention in emerging spaces like AI and agents, pairing structured innovation practices with hands-on design.
›Case Study: AI Lens at Cisco
Leading innovation and new product design processes
- Early Involvement and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Engaging design early to unify vision across teams, especially critical when inventing in emerging spaces like agentic AI where the problem itself is still forming.
- Evidence-Based Decision Making: Shifting from opinion-driven to data-driven decisions by rigorously testing and validating hypotheses through prototyping and user feedback.
- Design Thinking and Agile Methodologies: Applying Design Thinking principles to foster creativity and problem-solving through agile practices to keep the development process flexible and adaptable.
This approach has produced multiple invented products in AI and agent design, including AI Lens, HAX, and AgentVine.
Case Study:
Inventing a patented context-aware AI interface at Cisco
At Cisco I invented "AI Lens," a breakthrough feature designed to optimize user workflows and task management within the enterprise. Key features include context-aware collaboration with a "Context Button" for querying UI objects, multi-item selection for coherent analysis, and interactive UI enhancements like the "Contextual Screenshot Region Picker" and "Precision Data Spotlight."
US Patent Application #18428774. AI Lens became a reference pattern for how humans and AI assistants collaborate on complex visual data.
Design Systems & Standardization
How I build design systems that give teams consistency without slowing them down, and scale as products evolve.
›Case Study: Infor's move from on-prem to cloud
Core components to design systems and standardization
- Principles and Guidelines
- Component Libraries and Patterns
- Agile Methodologies
- Collaboration and Documentation
- Scalability and Flexibility
- Governance and Management
Case Study:
Standardizing the Infor product experience for its move from on-prem to cloud at Infor
A collection of acquisitions burdened Infor with diverse experiences across products. Infor's move to the cloud required a complete rethinking of the UX with a new consistent and scalable design system.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Getting design, product, and engineering rowing in the same direction: early, often, and around shared evidence.
›Case Study: Panoptica relaunch at Cisco
How I foster effective cross-functional collaboration
Facilitate Collaboration: Act as a bridge between different teams, facilitating effective communication and collaboration to drive alignment.
Providing Support and Resources: Offer design-thinking help to other teams to overcome challenges. Whether it's providing design assets quickly or helping articulate an idea, always be service-oriented.
Ownership and Accountability: Take ownership of the design outcomes while also ensuring that the credit is shared with all contributors in order to foster a strong spirit of teamwork and mutual respect.
Case Study:
Driving alignment during a new product merger for the relaunch of Panoptica at Cisco
At Cisco, my team's collaboration involves early and ongoing integration into the product lifecycle, which helps focus on delivering key value outcomes. During the re-launch of Panoptica, our cloud-security offering, the early engagement of the design team was pivotal. By involving the team from the onset, we unified our CNAPP platform instead of creating separate solutions.
This early and frequent collaboration across teams enabled us to help drive clarity and alignment to deliver a cohesive product that met our user needs more effectively.
Transformational Design
How design has been a lever for deeper change at the companies I've led, reshaping products, process, and culture together.
›Case Study: Infor's cloud business apps transformation
Basic tenets that encapsulate my approach
Early and Continuous Involvement: Design should be an integral part of the product development process from the very beginning. By collaborating closely with product managers, developers, and other stakeholders early on, we can help articulate and realize a shared vision.
Evidence-Based Decision Making: Shifting from opinion-based decision-making to an evidence-based framework is crucial.
Focused Alignment on Outcomes: Our design goals go beyond aesthetics to focus on key outcomes such as stakeholder alignment, user adoption, and conversion.
Case Study:
Transforming Infor from an on-prem ERP company to a next-gen cloud business apps company
At Infor, I created the first-of-its-kind internal design & innovation studio, hiring and nurturing a team of over 100 talented UX designers & product strategists.
This team was at the center of Infor's large-scale move from disparate on-prem products to a powerful, unified SaaS suite, and was consistently recognized as a significant part of Infor's incredible revenue growth at the time.
Agile Design Practices
How I run design in short iteration cycles with real user feedback, so the product improves with every sprint.
›Case Study: Motific at Cisco
My approach to an agile design practice
- Incremental and Iterative Development: Working in short development cycles called sprints. Each sprint focuses on completing a set of design tasks or features that can be tested and reviewed. Continuously refining and improving the design based on user feedback and testing results.
- Close Collaboration and Communication: Short, daily meetings where team members share updates. Agile relies heavily on cross-functional collaboration. Designers, developers, product managers, and other stakeholders work closely together.
- Flexibility and Adaptability: Being open to changes in requirements and feedback, even late in the development process. Continuously prioritizing work based on user value, business goals, and feedback.
Case Study:
An Agile approach to innovation at Outshift
In the development of Motific at Outshift, we employed agile design practices to ensure the product remained aligned with user needs and business goals.
We worked in 2-week sprints, each focused on delivering specific features or improvements. At the end of each sprint, we conducted reviews and gathered feedback from users and stakeholders. We regularly tested prototypes with target users and remained flexible to changes in requirements and feedback.
Outcomes
Examples of what changed, improved, or grew as a result of the work.
AI & Agent Product Leadership
Concrete outcomes from my AI and agent work: a shipped open standard, a granted patent, and a venture I founded.
›3 Outcomes: HAX · AI Lens · AgentVine
Shipped HAX Framework at Cisco's Outshift team
Led the creation of HAX, an open standard, SDK, and component library for human-agent collaboration. Built on five research-based principles, HAX gives teams a shared language and practical toolkit for designing trustworthy AI-driven interactions. Shipped as an open standard and under consideration for adoption across multiple product teams at Cisco.
Invented and patented AI Lens at Cisco
Invented a breakthrough feature that lets users point to any UI object on screen and engage an AI assistant with full visual context. US Patent Application #18428774. AI Lens transformed how humans interact with complex enterprise data and became a reference pattern for contextual AI interactions.
Invented AgentVine
Invented and launched the first advertising network designed for LLM-powered agents. Instead of placing ads on screens, AgentVine inserts structured, intent-driven product suggestions directly into an agent's decision-making process, creating a native monetization infrastructure for the agent economy.
User Adoption & Conversion
Where design-led onboarding and reduced friction turned into measurable lifts in adoption, conversion, and long-term engagement.
›3 Outcomes: Cisco · Infor
Increased PLG Leads at Cisco
At Cisco, I led a redesign of the onboarding process that resulted in a 30% increase in Product-Led Growth (PLG) leads within just 60 days. This redesign focused on streamlining the user journey, making it easier for users to understand and engage with the product, thereby boosting conversion rates and user adoption.
Simplified Product Onboarding at Infor
While at Infor, I worked on simplifying the onboarding processes for over 40 enterprise products. By enhancing usability and user experience, we significantly reduced friction points for new users, fostering a smoother transition and increasing user adoption across the product suite. This holistic approach contributed to the company's considerable growth in SaaS revenue.
Created Evidence-Based Design Process at Cisco
Another significant contribution at Cisco was the introduction of an evidence-based design discovery process. This approach enabled us to align product iterations closely with user needs and feedback, which improved overall user experience, reduced churn, and accelerated user adoption for new product launches.
Revenue Growth
Where design work translated directly into revenue, from modernizing enterprise suites to scaling new consulting practices.
›3 Outcomes: Infor · TMRW Lab · RelationalAI
Helped create over $5B in enterprise value at Infor
At Infor, I created and led an agile product experience team of over 120 designers, strategists, and researchers. Our collective efforts pivoted the company to become the third-largest enterprise SaaS provider, creating over $5 billion in enterprise value. We modernized over 40 complex enterprise products, contributing to $800M in SaaS revenue over five years by focusing on usability, user experience, and market-ready design.
Building and scaling TMRW Lab
At TMRW Lab, I developed the TMRW Mapping design process that delivered a 200% increase in new revenue in its first year. This process leveraged design thinking and evidence-based strategies to help mid-market B2B clients unlock transformative value through technology and design.
Driving AI and design consulting revenue at RelationalAI
As VP of Product Design & Strategy at RelationalAI, I launched a go-to-market design strategy for a relational database AI tool, leading to over $3M in consulting revenue within three months. Our human-centered design approach fostered a sustainable annual growth plan of over 14% for AI-driven projects.
Customer Satisfaction & Retention
Where research-driven redesigns reduced churn, lifted satisfaction, and kept enterprise customers engaged over the long run.
›3 Outcomes: Infor · TMRW Lab
Enhanced Product Usability Across Infor
At Infor, I led the redesign of over 40 complex enterprise products, focusing on improving usability and user experience. By simplifying interfaces and making tools more intuitive, we significantly reduced user frustration and increased overall user satisfaction. This enhancement played a crucial role in retaining large enterprise clients and reducing churn rates.
Improved Client Experience with TMRWMapping at TMRW Lab
At TMRW Lab, the TMRWMapping design process I developed was instrumental in tailor-fitting solutions to client needs. By engaging in detailed user research and iterative testing, we delivered bespoke solutions that significantly improved customer satisfaction. This personalized approach strengthened client relationships and enhanced our client's end-customer loyalty.
Created a Product Incubation "Garage" at Infor
I launched the first Product Incubation "garage" at Infor, which focused on spotlighting emerging products and services tailored to customer feedback. This initiative not only increased customer visit win rates to over 95% but also significantly boosted customer satisfaction by demonstrating our commitment to continual innovation and responsiveness to their needs.
Market Differentiation
Where design became the wedge that set products apart in crowded markets and gave sales a sharper story to tell.
›3 Outcomes: Infor · RelationalAI · Cisco
Pioneered Design as a Market Differentiator at Infor
At Infor, I spearheaded the modernization of over 40 enterprise products, transforming them into market-ready solutions with a focus on usability and user experience. This effort not only positioned Infor as the third-largest enterprise SaaS provider but also created a strong differentiation in a crowded market by offering superior user-centric design and enhanced functionality.
Developed Innovative AI Solutions at RelationalAI
As VP of Product Design & Strategy at Relational AI, I led the development and launch of a cutting-edge relational database AI tool. Our human-centered design approach set the product apart from competitors by providing a highly intuitive interface and clear value propositions. This differentiation was crucial in capturing market interest and driving over $3 million in consulting revenue shortly after launch.
Transformative Redesigns at Cisco
Through strategic redesigns of our onboarding process at Cisco, we achieved a 30% increase in Product-Led Growth (PLG) leads within 60 days. Our focus on user experience and seamless onboarding differentiated our product in a competitive market, making it easier for users to adopt and engage with our solutions.
Operational Efficiency & Agility
Where design sped things up: faster releases, cleaner product integrations, and products that got to market on tighter timelines.
›3 Outcomes: Cisco · Infor
Transformed the Process for Cloud Security Integration at Cisco
I led the integration of a key acquisition into our cloud security product in just five months. This transformation took two separate solutions and turned them into a cohesive CNAPP product, greatly reducing complexity and streamlining time to value. Additionally, I improved our onboarding and funnel strategies, which boosted our Product-Led Growth (PLG) leads by 30% within just 60 days.
Instrumental to the Enterprise Transformation at Infor
I spearheaded the company's transition from an on-premise software provider to a cloud business apps organization. This strategic pivot resulted in increasing deal sizes dramatically, from an average of $25k to as high as $120M, ultimately generating over $5B in enterprise value.
Rapidly launched a GenAI Product at Outshift
I implemented an evidence-based design discovery process that was instrumental in the rapid launch of an emerging Generative AI product in under three months. This not only exemplified our operational agility but also established a continuous cycle of improvement.
Strategic Business Alignment
Where design decisions were tied directly to business outcomes, from evidence-based frameworks to incubation bets that paid off.
›3 Outcomes: Cisco · Infor · TMRW Lab
Drove Strategic Realignment for Faster Decision Making at Cisco
I implemented a strategic shift from an opinion-based decision-making process to an evidence-based framework. This rigorous design discovery process validates each hypothesis from initial discovery to prototyping and market testing, ensuring our products met key business performance metrics.
Aligned Emerging Cloud Products with Market Needs at Infor
With the introduction of the first Product Incubation "Garage" I was able to help align our emerging cloud products with market needs by fostering innovation and accelerating time-to-market. This shift was pivotal in increasing new business win rates to over 95%.
Boosted Revenue by 200% with Proprietary TMRW Mapping Process at TMRW Lab
I co-developed a proprietary design thinking and discovery process called TMRW Mapping, which delivered a 200% increase in new revenue in the first year. This process was essential in aligning design strategies with business objectives.
Stakeholder Engagement & Trust
Where transparent process and consistent results earned trust from investors, executives, and cross-functional partners.
›3 Outcomes: Qonsent · Cisco · Infor
Created Investor Confidence and Secured Funding for Qonsent
While co-founding Qonsent, a platform focused on consumer privacy, I was responsible for both the design and product strategy, as well as co-creating the investor story. This narrative was pivotal in securing over $5M in funding and forging a partnership with key corporations.
Stakeholder Trust through Evidence-Based Design at Cisco
I implemented a strategic shift from an opinion-based decision-making process to an evidence-based framework. This approach involved rigorously validating each hypothesis from the initial discovery phase through to prototyping and market testing, fostering a culture of transparency that built trust among stakeholders.
Transformed Product Design Culture at Infor
At Infor, one of my key achievements was transforming the perception of product design by building a consultative approach. Historically, design had been an afterthought. By embedding design from the outset and fostering close collaboration with PMs and developers, we were able to realize a shared vision, earning trust from stakeholders.
Enhanced User Experience
Where better UX moved the business metrics that matter: velocity, usage, and product-led growth.
›3 Outcomes: Meta · Cisco
Increased Candidate Velocity at Meta
At Meta, I managed a design team focused on enhancing the user experience of Facebook's internal recruitment platform. Our efforts resulted in a 20% increase in candidate velocity, which reflects the speed and efficiency with which candidates moved through the recruitment pipeline. Additionally, the long-term impact included a 154% increase in platform usage over six months.
Created a patent-pending context aware AI Interface at Outshift by Cisco
At Outshift I personally created a groundbreaking AI initiative designed to optimize user workflows and task management within the enterprise called "Lens." Key features included context-aware collaboration with a "Context Button" for querying UI objects, multi-item selection for coherent analysis, and interactive UI enhancements.
Boosted Product-Led Growth at Cisco
I led the redesign of our onboarding and funnel strategies, an initiative that resulted in a 30% increase in Product-Led Growth (PLG) leads within 60 days. This improvement was instrumental in significantly enhancing our user acquisition and conversion rates.
New Business Opportunities & Innovation
Where design-led invention opened new revenue lines and new ventures, from product incubation to co-founded startups.
›3 Outcomes: Infor · Qonsent · Cisco
Incubating New Business Ventures with Product Incubation at Infor
At Infor, I led the initiatives to accelerate the company's emerging products and services. This effort resulted in a significant increase in new business win rates, exceeding 95%. By fostering a culture of innovation and providing a structured environment for development and testing of new ideas, we were able to align closely with market needs.
Co-Created a New Consumer Privacy Product, Qonsent
As a co-founder of Qonsent, I was responsible for crafting the design and product strategy, as well as creating the investor story that secured over $5M in funding. By clearly articulating the disconnect between consumer perceptions and the actual use of their data by brands, we attracted significant investment and forged crucial partnerships.
Created a New Business Opportunity at Cisco's Outshift team
I led the design strategy for Motific, a new AI product designed to streamline enterprise AI assistant deployments. By focusing on solving real user problems and not just adding new features for the sake of novelty, we created a product that emphasized usability and practical outcomes.