About Me
Some time ago …
…while living in the Midwest and seeking a summer adventure, I signed up for the fire crew at Olympic National Park via the Student Conservation Association. I loved it so much that I stayed, making Seattle my permanent home. I tried out a few professions and played bass in a few local bands. Realizing we weren't going to be the next Nirvana, I pursued a design degree and built skills in both UX and visual design, as well as product management, marketing, and e-commerce. I love collaborating with smart teams and thrive on the opportunity to create relationships while solving meaty product challenges.
I recently completed my M.S. in Management and Leadership and am looking for a leadership role where I can use my skills to make a broader impact at the business level. I enjoy big meaty projects that require setting long-term visions, developing strategies, and solving tough technical problems. By building strong relationships with my PM and engineering counterparts, as well as other key partners, I’m able to put my vast experience to use creating environments where design shines and directly impacts the bottom line via outstanding customer experiences.
Outside Work
In my free time I enjoy exploring the beauty of the PNW, whether by bike, snowboard, or foot. I also enjoy attending theater and arts events, and exploring all the amazing restaurants Seattle has to offer.
When it’s time to cozy up at home I’ll be reading one of the many fantasy or sci-fi novels from my backlog.
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Strengths
Relationships - I believe teams succeed together and I work to develop strong relationships, both on my own team and cross-functionally. I truly enjoy collaborating with my colleagues and love the energy and ideas that come from different perspectives. I especially enjoy mentoring earlier-career folks and helping them grow skills as they navigate project and people complexities.
End-to-End - My experience runs from imagining pie-in-the-sky possibilities all the way through to shipping that valuable v1, and then smartly planning the versions that follow. In conjunction with other team leaders, I define the vision and establish a strategy for getting us there. I then work with my team to shepherd ideas through the research and design phases, and keep the execs up-to-date on progress, as we execute on deliverables.
Community - I'm a regular presence in the local design community and a part of many design and leadership Slacks. It helps me stay up-to-speed on the latest news and trends happening in our field and provides a place to learn and contribute to the conversation. I also serve as a mentor in the Hexagon program, which is extremely rewarding.
Versatility - With over 20 years of experience in tech, I've worn a lot of hats. I'm primarily an interaction and visual designer, but I've led user research projects, filled in as a Product Manager, written lots of UX and marketing copy, built websites in HTML/CSS, created shiny sales brochures for print, and am generally good at getting done whatever needs getting done.
Curiosity - I’m one of those people who could go to school for the rest of my life because I love learning and find so many topics interesting. When I can learn about a new subject area on the job, that's an extra plus. Insurance industry? Check. How data warehouses work? Check. Racks, servers, and cloud computing networks? Check.
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"Working with Andrea has been one of the best experiences in collaboration of my career ... She never failed to impress me with her ability to see through complex concepts and find the best design for the user ... Andrea became a partner for me, with whom I always felt comfortable working through a problem. If we disagreed on an approach, we always ended up at a better solution together in the end. I will always want Andrea on my team, and can't recommend her strongly enough."
"Andrea is an exceptional team mate and seasoned professional. Fast, brilliant, innovative, egoless, and the definition of grace under pressure. As an art director she guides her designers with clarity, kindness, and the inspiration of her own high standards. I hope to have the good fortune of working with Andrea again in the future."
"As a product owner working with Andrea, I was impressed with not only her design skills but also her initiative in bringing forward new ideas and ways of approaching a given business problem. Andrea is a great addition to any team."
"Andrea provides a creative outlet for her peers and stimulates the collaborative efforts across the entire design organization. Andrea possesses leadership qualities that inspire best practices resulting in successful customer experiences. I strongly recommend Andrea."