Designer in the wild
It all began with a bachelor of visual communication design and minor in business and marketing. With a solid foundation in problem solving, I was drawn to the web. After a few years as a web designer, I moved into an information architect role working with global brands at Critical Mass. The fledgling discipline and team allowed me to explore many roles and techniques with the goal of creating usable and useful B2C and B2B web applications. Working hand-in-hand with client partners and multi-disciplinary teams I crafted experience strategies and designed user interface pathways and interactions. My role was fluid - also completing user research, art directing, managing teams and whatever necessary to create the best possible product.
Our group evolved with the technology industry and we became experience architects. During this time I advocated for user-centered design and introduced interaction design to the company.
Mobile was rising and I was drawn to this small device poised to transform the landscape. I moved to Silicon Valley and became the lead designer for Yahoo!'s flagship mobile product - oneSearch. After this I moved on to the fast-paced world of startups - first my own music project and then another.
I went on to design mobile web and desktop experiences for Best Buy and AT&T and the ordering interface for the first mass produced electric vehicle - the Nissan LEAF. My most recent challenge was with a bank to transform their complex paper lending application into a digital experience.
By far, the most substantial phase of soft-skill growth has been my ongoing stint as CEO at the Goldman Family. Parenthood offers a magical opportunity for learning how to co-create with all kinds of personalities under adverse conditions. Just ask my children who, when stubborn, are astonishingly transformed into a lounge of lizards racing through the jungle to get to the bath.
More and more I’m reminded of my rural roots and am embracing nature wholeheartedly. In awe of the resilience and intelligence of the plant world, I spend much of my free time studying botany and herbalism. I find the healing properties of nature unsurpassed, so you will often find me hiking through the woods or knee deep in my garden.
