Jun 2021 – Oct 2022 · 1 yr 4 mos · San Francisco Bay Area

• Led a team of product designers, brand designer, and user researchers. Represented Design and Research at all levels of the organization. Created product strategy across the board for all areas of the product, particularly focused on social strategy and engagement. Created new processes and procedures for design reviews and delivery. Ran weekly department and interdepartmental meetings, critiques, and presentations to stakeholders. Recruited and hired most of the team. Annual performance evaluations and weekly 1:1s. Reported directly to the CEO.

Jun 2017 – Oct 2020 · 3 yrs 4 mos · San Francisco Bay Area

• Design, prototype, evangelize, and incubate elegant solutions for new features while improving existing ones. Lead design on the Possible Futures, Onboarding, and Health teams. Identify user and market needs, sketch solutions with comps and prototypes, test ideas with user researchers, run live experiments, and refine designs using data and user feedback. Coach, mentor, and evangelize best design practices to other designers, engineers, and product managers. Participate in and lead workshops, crits, and design sprints for projects across all of Twitter. Work extensively with AI/ML to improve the lives of new Twitter users by quickly getting them to the best possible experience.

Oct 2015 – Oct 2016 · 1 yr · Redwood City, CA

• Oversaw design and product management to launch a new home robot, Kuri. Devised product strategy and roadmap, combining feedback from customers, engineering, and marketing to set the strategic vision and lead the execution of features and the overall initial product. Established tactics to achieve Product-Market fit with a new brand in a new category. Gathered and prioritized product and customer requirements and worked closely with engineering to deliver a remarkable product that delights people and is profitable—all within a new product category.
• "Instantly likable." —Cnet
• "The first real home robot, combining mobility and true interaction with approachable, friendly design." —Techcrunch
• "The first home robot you might actually want." —QZ
• Best in CES Finalist 2017
• #9 on Wired's Top 10 Designs of CES 2017
• PC Magazine's Best Robot of CES 2017
• Directly managed the Product team and guided outside design and packaging vendors. Created and managed the overall Product process, including:
• Directing all aspects of design, ID and digital, including robot appearance, movements, sound, packaging, accessories, app, and website
• Gathering and analyzing feedback from customers, engineering, marketing, and the market
• Leading internal process to define the product strategy, roadmap, timeline, and feature priorities
• Refining, updating, and narrowing target audiences and their psycho- and demographics
• Defining pricing strategy and business model
• Naming and trademark efforts
• Writing requirements documents and use cases for product features
• Monitoring the status of engineering and development projects supporting new features (both software and hardware)
• Defining product positioning and conducting business-level verification and market testing of features
• Becoming an expert on other robotics products and burgeoning consumer robotics market
• Created initial brand and marketing positioning. Led Marketing efforts for the first 10 months, including social media.

Jan 2015 – Sep 2015 · 8 mos · San Francisco, CA

• Designed next generation products (hardware and software) and services for wearables and consumer electronics. Led, hired, and managed designers on the Product Experience team, while collaborating with departments across the organization, including manufacturing, data science, marketing, hardware and software engineering, and product management. Worked on incorporating new sensors and new uses of sensors into existing and future products.

Jan 2012 – Nov 2014 · 2 yrs 10 mos · San Francisco, CA

• Directed and worked alongside teams of cross-disciplinary (interaction, visual, and industrial) designers to design products across the hardware/software spectrum, including apps (web and mobile, consumer and enterprise) and devices, wearables, robots, consumer electronics, appliances, services, and automotive interiors. Participated in all aspects of the design process, from strategic work and product planning through research and concepting to detailed design and prototyping. Projects ranged from $50k to over $1m.
• Recruited, led, managed, mentored, promoted, and hired a team of designers, from interns and junior designers to seasoned senior designers and associate directors. Conducted annual reviews.
• Assisted in all aspect of business development, from sales pitches to marketing to proposal writing. Critically engaged in bringing in over $5m in business in three years time.
• Raised Smart’s profile in digital design through articles in Wired, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other publications. Spoke and taught workshops on design around the world.

Sep 2008 – Apr 2011 · 2 yrs 7 mos

• Established, managed, and led this boutique studio along with several partners. Was the principal interaction designer on projects ranging from mobile apps to consumer electronics to robots. Programmed Device Design Day, an annual one-day conference.

Aug 2007 – Sep 2008 · 1 yr 1 mo

• Designed websites, applications, kiosks, mobile devices, and services for this innovative design firm. Recruited, hired, mentored, evaluated, and trained designers. Led workshops, as well as oversaw projects for a wide variety of clients from startups to international corporations.

Jun 2005 – Jul 2007 · 2 yrs 1 mo