Connecting purpose, design, and code for meaningful product outcomes

Hi, I’m Mike—a designer and design leader who builds human-centered systems, interfaces, and tools through intuitive UX and collaborative AI approaches. With over two decades of experience, I use creative problem solving and technology to deliver thoughtful, outcome-driven work—grounded in business objectives and technical realities.

I design experiences that help users of all skill levels get things done—making digital products more productive and enjoyable to use, while giving teams and products a real competitive advantage. Whether guiding a team or going deep myself, I work fast, think holistically, and aim for continuous improvement—until design makes it real.

Where I’ve been

My journey into design started at a scrappy startup where—as a designer—I taught myself HTML and CSS because I wanted to understand how digital products actually got built. Curiosity about the intersection of design and technology has shaped my entire career.

I’ve worked across the spectrum—agencies like Bond and Acxiom, startups, large organizations like The Associated Press, VistaPrint, New York Life, and as an independent consultant. My path has been intentionally dynamic, weaving through UX, creative direction, and design systems, but always with technology at the core. This breadth has given me a unique perspective on how design, business, and engineering come together to create meaningful products.

Some career highlights:

• I spent nearly a decade at The Associated Press, leading a team of 20+ designers and developers while helping grow AP News to 1.8 million active users and $10+ million in annual revenue.
• At VistaPrint, I built their first centralized design systems team, creating systems that supported 60+ UX designers and 200+ developers while driving $8 million in revenue improvements.
• I helped New York Life establish their first global enterprise design system—creating a system of systems model scaled across enterprise teams. I architected systems to support key NYL products and user journeys while developing a durable federated governance model to keep it all running smoothly.
• Most recently, I transformed DTCC’s flagship client portal through strategic research and end-to-end design—ultimately boosting both user experience and operational efficiency across the platform.

Throughout it all, I’ve maintained a heavy focus on UX, design systems, and bridging the gap between design and development—because the best ideas only matter if they can be built well.

How I work

I start every project by understanding what really drives an organization—their mission, their path to revenue growth, and whether they’re focused on retention, acquisition, or other key priorities. This helps me align my work and my team’s efforts with the bigger picture, ensuring design thinking contributes meaningfully to strategic objectives.

I focus on reducing risk around important decisions and helping teams navigate uncertainty, turning ambiguous challenges into clear, actionable solutions that support real business outcomes.

Working across different industries has taught me to see problems from multiple angles and recognize how everything connects. I naturally think in systems—understanding how user behaviors, business goals, and technical constraints intersect, and anticipating how decisions ripple across the entire experience.

I get hands-on early, working directly with engineers, prototyping in real code when possible, and constantly testing assumptions with users before they become expensive problems. I use technology strategically to make teams faster and smarter, whether that’s AI-powered tools, better design systems, or anything that amplifies what people can accomplish together.

My focus is always on designing solutions that work for immediate needs while setting up long-term success across the whole system.

What I do

• Product strategy and vision: I work with leadership to turn business objectives into concrete design strategies. Through research and competitive analysis, I create product visions that guide development and drive real impact—ensuring design initiatives always support broader organizational goals.
• End-to-end product experiences: I focus on making digital products that actually work for people—strengthening how they connect, improving their daily experiences, and simplifying complicated processes. Whether it’s mobile apps used by millions or enterprise tools that help teams get things done, I ground every design decision in real user research and tie it back to problems that matter.
• Design systems and scalable solutions: I build design systems that keep things consistent while giving teams room to innovate. They work because they’re practical and scalable—whether supporting a startup’s rapid growth or helping a large organization transform how they work.
• Design operations and team development: I optimize product development through efficient workflows and high standards while mentoring designers and building cross-functional partnerships that make entire teams stronger.

Philosophy and values

My approach to design and leadership is built on a few core tenets that guide everything I do:

• Clear communication: I believe the best ideas are the ones everyone can understand and act on. I value open dialogue, actionable feedback, and making sure everyone’s on the same page before we start building.
• Iteration over perfection: I work in small, testable chunks rather than trying to solve everything at once. This means releasing early, learning fast, and continuously improving based on real user feedback rather than assumptions.
• Research drives decisions: I’m obsessed with talking to users and understanding their actual needs, not just what we think they need. Every major design decision should be backed by evidence, whether that’s user research, data analysis, or rapid testing.
• Empowering teams: I believe in creating environments where people can do their best work. That means building productive partnerships across functions and creating processes that reward collaboration and quality execution.

Teaching and mentoring

I’ve had the chance to both teach and learn from emerging designers. As an Adjunct Professor at Parsons, I created their first Design Systems curriculum and help students understand how design and technology work together in practice.

I also lead the local Interaction Design Foundation chapter in Jersey City, building community and facilitating knowledge sharing across the region. Whether through formal teaching or daily collaboration, I love helping designers grow their strategic thinking and build confidence in their decisions.

As a team leader, I function more like a player-coach—building community and design-focused culture by leveraging individual strengths and keeping things light enough that people actually want to work together.

Outside of Work

I live in the NYC area with my wife and twin kids. I love traveling and experiencing new places—sometimes that’s walking around in the woods (hiking), wandering through cities, or the occasional fruitful search for new and interesting local spots.

Photography has been a reliable and consistent creative outlet for me for a long time. I tend to take many more photos when I travel vs exploring locally, but both can be rewarding. I mostly use a Fujifilm X-T3 and probably need to updagrade that soon but it’s an incredibly capable camera.

I’m also a musician and enjoy the many parallels and connections between music theory and design systems. In an earlier life I played in a seminal hardcore band and saw the grittier side of most of Europe by the time I was 25.