Design Leadership that’s Different. By Design.
Two decades ago I entered UX. Back then, most of the world didn’t know what user experience was, and called us webmasters. Still, the potential to solve business and customer problems with design put me on a path to helping the world’s most admired brands. Along the way, I learned what I love, what I do best and don’t, what I’m meant to do, and why I do it. My portfolio showcases work I’m truly proud of; what follows speaks to my vision.
Work
Design leader for startups to global brands.
My Lifelong Passion for Creative
I’ve always looked beyond pretty by integrating functionality, utility, and focus. Design is an organic adventure that I approach as a curious explorer with refined design skills and creative courage.
Entrepreneurial Barrier Busting
At my development agency, TopLingo, we rejected cookie-cutter websites for custom apps and eCommerce solutions. We grew, we scaled, I exited successfully and through it, never stopped learning. I even found time to pick up an MBA adding perspective and new skills.
The Corporate Path
My agency led me to work with clients and C-Level executives from Chase, HSBC, Air New Zealand, and 3M. Post-agency, I was recruited by Walmart, and promoted quickly to Head of Design for their streaming subsidiary Vudu. My journey working for large organizations does not end here.
Data-Informed Design
It begins by thinking beyond the design, to leveraging user research frameworks that test problems and harvest opportunities. Accomplished by leveraging a disciplined start-up mentality and rapid iterative approach that won’t waste time looking for the future in the rear-view mirror.
Team Building with Integrity
My vision is to lead by example, move fast, building progressive and successful design teams of the future. Teams comprised of talented people mentored, not marginalized, embracing evolving processes that build amazingly cool stuff, that inspire, build strong products and add value in the years ahead.
What Inspires Me and Always Will
Fantastic design that exceeds expectations, breaks barriers, solves problems and raises the bar has never been easy but doing it has never failed to delight and motivate me. I never tire of a challenge, or the quest to overcome it.
Where I’m Headed Next and Why
My gift is solving business and customer problems, and finding a way to do ever-greater work by blending innovative entrepreneurial skills with best practices. I’m a natural leader but a team player who that understands building an optimal culture for design must value process and policies but also people.
Recommendations
“Simply put, Mike is one of the best design leaders I’ve hired. I worked closely with Mike for more than 5 years and every day I was happy that he had joined the team. Through business ups and downs, through strategy evolutions, Mike always maintained a great attitude, a focus on building and improving products for our customers, and a great working environment for his team. Mike recruited, built, led, and developed a strong cross-functional design team, supporting research, branding, and product & interaction design. He grew strong individual contributors into team leaders and ensured that partner teams always had what they needed. He brought his “get it done” startup mentality into a subsidiary of the world’s largest company and kept that approach while being comfortable and effective at working within big company processes and procedures. Five stars - would hire again!”
— Corporate Vice President, Product @ Walmart
“Mike solves business problems and transforms ambitious requirements into effective visual solutions.”
— Executive Director @ JPMorgan Chase & Co.
“Mike is not only a person who grows teams but is one who builds strong creative individuals. In the 4 years I've been at Vudu, Mike built a talented team of UX, Product, Motion & Marketing designers and UX researchers. As his direct report, I have always received Mike's unconditional support not only for design reviews but also as a career mentor. He has always fought for what’s right for the user, delicately balancing managing designers like myself, along with delivering on business goals to executive stakeholders. As a person he is just fun to be around and a pleasure to work with. If things get tough, he is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get hands on to deliver whats required of the team. I have been blessed to have him as my manager at Vudu and would highly recommend him for any role he wishes to pursue.”
— Sr. Manager, User Experience @ Vudu
35 more recommendations on LinkedIn
Work hard. Play hard.
My passion for enjoying life inspirits those who surround me.
