I help teams chart the path through complexity and ambiguity
by bridging competing priorities and organizational realities with real human needs
Service designer and strategist helping teams deliver solutions customers need, employees can execute, and organizations grow with
Experience Highlights
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Joined an internal design consultancy as a founding member; promoted to Senior Service Designer and Researcher; helped to establish the organization's design strategy practice as the team scaled from 3 to 19; and supported enterprise initiatives during the period of major transformation in healthcare beginning in 2020.
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USAA
Service designer on a practice team responsible for advancing design capability across an organization of 200+ designers; contributed to a cross-functional initiative to reimagine a suite of financial and insurance offerings for 20K+ young enlisted members, resulting in a $10M investment to redesign offerings tailored to the military community.
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Farmers Insurance
Scoped and executed a strategic service design engagement to help siloed product teams articulate the customer and agent experience impacts of a large-scale enterprise transformation; built an experience framework from scratch that was validated, documented, and positioned as an enterprise-level resource.
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The Get Up Movement
Co-founded an Austin-based nonprofit focused on civic engagement and community empowerment; built and led a board to advance the organization's mission of creating accessible spaces for community conversation around social challenges facing the Austin area.
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United States Digital Response
Volunteer service designer and researcher supporting state and municipal government partners through the US Digital Response; contributed to projects focused on modernizing how city, state, and federal agencies deliver services to the communities they serve.
How Others Describe Me
A Bit About Me
I am on a mission to use collaborative, human-centered thinking to solve the problems that matter most.
I’m passionate about using human-centered design to bring together diverse teams with competing interests to solve complex challenges, especially the large social, societal, and organizational challenges of our day.
I am drawn to work that is as concerned about meeting human needs as it is the bottom line.
I am especially energized by organizations working in social innovation, civic tech, healthcare transformation, and community impact.
I ask questions that uncover what others miss.
My background in sales and operations taught me to ask the questions that uncover what customers really need and what keeps teams up at night. I listen well and build trust quickly, which allows me to shape solutions grounded in operational reality, not just good intentions.
And, I love discovering new bands and seeing live music. Here is some of what I am listening to lately to enjoy as you peruse the rest of the site!
I Believe That
Good design happens with people, not for them.
Products become “need to haves” through a deep understanding of the real challenges people face every day, and by including those people throughout the design, development, and delivery processes.
Technology is in service of humans.
The latest technology is only as valuable as its ability to meet human needs and support human endeavors. Without trust, usability, and adoption, technology cannot get us very far.
Integration matters as much as innovation.
Even the best products fail when they aren’t designed to fit naturally into the ecosystems, workflows, and customer expectations that already exist around them.
We don’t rise to the level of our ambitions; we fall to the strength of our systems.
The success of a solution depends as much on the vision behind it as the systems supporting it’s delivery, from employee AI workflows to data streams for marketing.
Success is, most often, quiet.
It might look like customers being briefly delighted by having their needs met and moving on with their lives, but, continuously returning to your product.
How I Work
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I help teams invest in the right opportunities by cutting through assumptions, market noise, and competing priorities early
The lack of a north star can lead to costly misalignment and the wrong investmentsMay look like…
Stakeholder interviews
Alignment workshops
Product and service audits
Competitive analysis
Ecosystem mapping
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I reveal how experiences work for customers, employees, and partners, surfacing the friction and unmet needs most relevant to the business opportunity.
Designing a solution around assumed needs risks missing market fit
May look like…Qualitative research
Contextual inquiry
Primary research
Journey mapping
Analysis of user data
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I help cross-functional teams surface ideas, navigate competing priorities, and commit to a direction that is feasible and viable.
Without shared alignment and commitment, even the strongest ideas can fail in implementation.
May look likeIdeation sessions
Co-creation workshops
Prioritization activities
Cross functional collaboration
Storyboards
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I help to define how a new offering or operational change can realistically function across teams, systems, and customer experiences before major investment or implementation
The lack of documented ownership could lead to costly rework, fragmented implementation, and low adoption later.
May look like…Service blueprints
Process redesign
Operating models
Change enablement
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I guide teams to define and measure how well a solution is working in practice and refines the systems and processes that support it over time.
Solution drifting away from the needs of customers, employees, and the business over time.
May look like…Prototyping
Validation research
Pilot planning
KPI definition sessions
Every project varies in terms of which elements of this process are actually included in an effort. Some require a deep dive into Determining the problem worth solving, only learn at the end that the initial assumed challenge is not worth the investment to solve. Others have narrowed in on a solution and really need support Designing how it works and Ensuring long term success.
Timelines, existing deadlines, and budgets are all things I take into account when scoping work.
Ways We Can Work Together
I work with organizations in different ways depending on the scope of the challenge, the level of support needed, and the stage of the work.
Roles I’ve worked in : Principal Service Designer I Senior Design Researcher I Design Strategist I Student Experience Manager
Full Time Roles
Best fit for
Organizations looking for an embedded strategic partner to help shape services, align teams, and navigate complex organizational challenges over time.
Typical scope
Long-term ownership across research, strategy, facilitation, and service design.
Level of involvement
Full-time embedded collaboration across teams and initiatives.
Contract Work
Best fit for
Teams needing focused support on a specific initiative, service, or organizational challenge.
Typical scope
Research, stakeholder alignment, service design, workshop facilitation, or opportunity definition tied to a defined project or timeframe.
Level of involvement
Part-time or full-time engagement over a fixed period of time.
Advisory Support
Best fit for
Organizations or leaders looking for strategic guidance, outside perspective, or periodic support navigating complexity and organizational change.
Typical scope
Leadership advising, design strategy, facilitation, organizational feedback, or strategic working sessions.
Level of involvement
Lightweight, flexible support ranging from recurring advisory sessions to short-term strategic engagements.
Where I Thrive
Organizations designing products or services within complex ecosystems like healthcare
Consultancies tackling real human and organizational challenges
Civic organizations and governments delivering services to diverse communities
Mission-driven organizations navigating transformation or operational change