I am a UX/UI Product Designer with extensive experience creating best in class digital products. During my tenure designing, I have focused on consistently delivering products that produce results. My passion lies within my empathy for end users and solving unique and complex challenges.
Years Experience
Successful Projects
Design Awards
Conduct research to develop an understanding of end users. Investigate priorities, behaviors and pain-points.
Compile and organize all of the research. Observe where the users' problems exist.
Think outside the box! Fearlessly generate a range of crazy, unique and creative ideas.
Build ideal and tactile representations of the product to give a greater sense of how interactions feel and act.
Allow a test group of users to experience the prototypes and gather crucial feedback. Refine areas based on results.
Launch the product into the "wild" to gain real-world context of the efforts made. Define next steps and future growth.
By putting users at the center of the design process, user-centric design aims to create products and services that are intuitive, easy to use, and tailored to the specific needs of the target audience. This enhances the overall user experience and satisfaction.
When users feel that a product or service has been designed with their needs in mind, they are more likely to engage with it and become loyal customers. User-centric design focuses on understanding user motivations and designing experiences that resonate with them, ultimately leading to higher user engagement.
By involving users early in the design process, user-centric design ensures that potential usability issues are identified and addressed, thus minimizing the risk of costly redesigns or product failures. This helps to align development efforts with what users actually want, resulting in more effective and efficient solutions.
User-centric design promotes inclusivity by considering the needs of all users, including those with disabilities and/or diverse backgrounds. This leads to more accessible and inclusive designs, removing barriers and ensuring that everyone can benefit from the product or service.
Through prioritization of user needs and delivering exceptional experiences, user-centric design can give businesses a competitive edge. Products or services that truly address user pain points and fulfill their desires are more likely to stand out in the market and attract a larger user base.
Click on the case studies to view more detail about each project.
Heroic’s mobile app navigation was redesigned to create a more intuitive, user-friendly, and streamlined experience while maintaining full access to its features. The process involved user research, mapping existing flows, and identifying friction points to inform a simplified, improved user journey. The insights guided the creation of wireframes and a functional prototype that demonstrated a cohesive, user-centered redesign.
YoY Revenue Growth
Increase in Conversion
Research indicates that 65% of credit and debit cardholders have faced fraud, with card-not-present fraud alone causing $5.3 billion in U.S. losses in 2022. After personally experiencing fraud, I struggled with recurring billing issues on accounts linked to my canceled card, revealing gaps in alert systems from banks and institutions. Motivated by this challenge, I envisioned a "Subscriptions Payment Tracker" app to help users monitor their accounts and manage payments more effectively.
While at School Messenger, I designed the mobile applications for both senders and recipients, focusing on effective communication for school alerts. My development process included research, user stories, personas, wireframes, prototypes, and usability testing within an agile framework. This approach resulted in a successful mobile app that meets the needs of school districts and their communities.
In August 2022, the FDA permitted direct sales of hearing aids to adults without requiring a medical exam, prescription, or audiologist fitting, making these devices more accessible and affordable. A group of audiologists approached me to develop a responsive e-commerce website that would allow customers to purchase or lease hearing aids while also providing valuable information about hearing loss. Utilizing the design thinking process, I crafted a user-friendly experience that meets the needs of target customers, simplifying the shopping process for hearing devices.
Below are some examples of work I have produced.
Heroic is a social training platform that integrates philosophy, modern science, and practical tools to achieve one’s best potential. As Principal Product Designer, I spearheaded innovative design solutions and features for one of the top self-improvement platforms, enhancing user experience and engagement through user-centered design.
Challenges
Some challenges addressed were simplifying the navigation, bringing more personalized elements and interactivity to the app and integrating AI into the platform in a meaningful way. I tackled mulitple unique engineering and design challenges that attracted more large scale clients and decreased production time.
Solutions
Solutions to these challenges included better, more intuitive navigation and leveraging areas that would benefit from personalization. I also provided a creative and successful design and engineering solution for a "Teams" experience within the platform/application. This solution was able to generate more revenue by providing professional/highly-visible organizations customized, private environments. Finally, an AI assistant was created so that users could inquire about anything from the Heroic immense data base of knowledge to help one achieve their greatest potential.
Role
Principal Product Designer
I was the Principal Product Designer for one of the leading personal training platforms. In addition to the mobile application, I was responsible for improving the user's experience across platforms. I tackled Heroic’s website and bridged the information and branding gaps. These changes delivered a more cohesive and improved user experience.
Challenges
Heroic’s web site was old, disjointed and not aligned with members’ mobile app experience. The site architecture, organization and user flow had to be completely redesigned. Imagery and screenshots were also out of date and were absent in key locations, like the homepage.
Solutions
First, I worked closely with the engineering team to allow the mobile API to be used in the web site API. Thus, bridging the gap and creating one source of truth for user data and experience. Next, I created a hierarchy of the information and took an inventory of existing pages — noting where pages/directories were missing. Finally, I completely redesigned the site to be more current and impactful. It also better aligned with the current branding and imagery.
Role
Principal Product Designer
Splunk Inc. is a software company located in San Francisco, California, that develops software for searching, monitoring, and analyzing machine-generated data through a web-style interface. I was the Senior Product Designer, embedded in an IT Engineering team, responsible for developing a suite of web applications for Splunk's sales team to best address and provide meaningful, custom, solutions to new and existing customers. During my tenure at Splunk, I managed and oversaw the entire design division of the IT Solutions department.
Challenges
Designing a variety of web applications that required scaleability, the use of dynamic data, and clear data visualization presented unique challenges that required out of the box thinking. Within IT Solutions at Splunk, there were different departments that needed support from the Design team. The different initiatives and product types created an environment where efficiency and the ability to pivot quickly was essential.
Solutions
I was presented with many different challenges that required a first principles approach in product design. This required me to break down complex problems into their fundemental elements and rebuilding the solution from scratch. I worked with several cross-functional teams to provide design solutions that fit each department's goal. I managed a global design team, ensuring quality in product design, time efficiency and delivering impact across the organization.
Role
Senior Product Designer
CSAT Score
Sales Revenue
RWJF is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, they work side-by-side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to get to health equity faster and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. While working for an award winning design agency, I developed a scalable web solution that supported the different schools and programs of RWJ Foundation.
Challenges
RWJF is divided into four seperate areas of concentration, study and research. Each of these areas operate independently from eachother. Coordinating user research and making sure that all divisions needs where met within a strict timeline challenging. This became especially difficult when final content from each area was required. The site needed to be flexible and effective as a tool for the RWJF visitors to educuate themselves about the programs.
Solutions
In order to make sure deliverables and feedback were met, I worked closely with the client and maintained constant contact. I delivered a scalable design system that provided a cohesive feel while giving each area/program their on distiction. In addition, the design provided flexibilty to accomidate a varying amount of content based on each program, while maintaining the brand integrity.
Role
Lead Product Designer
KeVita Inc. is one of the nation’s fastest- growing functional beverage brands, guided by a mission to empower people to take their health and well-being into their own hands by providing innovative products to compliment any healthy lifestyle. Working closely with KeVita, I created a web experience that not only marketed their product line, it also served as an educational tool for optimal health.
Challenges
The web site not only needed to provide an enticing way to discover the different products, it also needed to educate customers about the health benefits of KeVita. One challenge came from how to provide information in a fun and easy to understand way.
Solutions
KeVita's site was crafted to clearly convey the family of products and allow customers to discover new items. I created custom illustrations to provide simple educational diagrams. These illustrations also felt approachable and provided a sense of playfulness.
Role
UX/UI Designer, Illustrator
Friend2Friend is a platform for brands to build customized social engagement experiences from scratch, and deploy instantly across all digital touchpoints. While working for Friend2Friend, I not only developed and managed social media compaigns for high-profile clients, I also created integral applications that resulted in higher customer satisfaction and company profits.
Challenges
I loved being pushed to develop new and captivating campaigns for clients. One of the biggest and most rewarding challenges came from the development of an application that allowed clients to build, publish and track social media campaigns. The application had to be simple, scalable, and intuitive to use. Reporting and data visualization had to be easy to understand, thorough and convenient to access.
Solutions
I designed a SaaS product for customers to easily build and manage their own social media campaigns. In addition to still offering customized social media campaigns for large clients, the company could now allow a wider range of clients, with varying budgets, a platform to run successful campaigns in a self-service environment. The platform also offered a visual display of data and analytics that was easy to understand.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Clover Sonoma produces a variety of dairy products that elevate taste, provide nutritional value, and bring families back to the table. Sourced locally from family farms. I had the pleasure to work closely with Clover Sonoma while working for a design agency to launch their new marketing campaign.
Challenges
Part of the Clover Sonoma marketing campaign was a refreshed web presence. The main website needed to promote and educate visitors while staying true to the brand. Some interesting challenges were coming up with interactive elements that provided discovery, entertainment, and education.
Solutions
When approaching the website structure and design, I pushed for a wall-to-wall cover design. This enabled greater immersion and opportunities to add playful interactions to the interface. Custom illustrations and graphic design were created for an interactive map introducing the family farms that produced the milk products for Clover. Showing the "faces" of the company helped reinforce the family and community message, which is at the heart of the company.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Clover Sonoma's marketing campaign touched on every area of the company. My designs extended beyond the company's website. I continued my involvement with the client to develop print marketing ad campaigns.
Challenges
A lot of print marketing was part of the new camaign. These materials had to be impactful and flexible for use. From larger billboard advertisements to "shelf talkers", I developed scaleable solutions for various types of media.
Solutions
I developed templates for various print advertisements. These templates provided guidance for copy, photography, and any intellectual property. Depending on the ad space, context, and user visibility, a specific ad type was constructed. To provide guidance, samples, and "real-world" mock-ups were provided as part of the branding guidelines.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Bioneers is a non-profit environmental and social justice advocacy organization based in New Mexico and California. While working at a design agency, I worked with the Bioneers organization to develop a site that clearly conveyed who they were.
Challenges
Great care and consideration regarding Bioneers message, purpose and history were kept in mind during the project's planning and development. I had to develop an educational, inspiring and informative experience for users.
Solutions
As I dove into the project, I attempted to give users the ability to find an area/cause/opportunity that resonated best with them. Through simple, clear navigation, easy registration and inspiring imagery, I delevered a product that modernized Bioneers online presence and made it easier for people to get involved with some amazing causes.
Role
Principal Product Designer
Vidgo is a simple, affordable, and portable way to watch TV. It's a TV app, designed in the USA by engineers who love to watch TV in the most efficient way, on the go and in high resolution.
Challenges
During the launch of Vidgo, streaming was relatively new. Not only did I have to inform the visitors of the technology but I also had to market the benefits in an approachable way. I also needed to develop the brand. This involved having the right imagery, the perfect typeface and the creation of a welcoming, safe user experience.
Solutions
Not only was I able to deliver a quality web experience, but I also created a brand and indentity that was easily respresented in all touchpoints. Through customer surveys and testing, I created a brand that felt approachedable, warm, and family-friendly.
Role
Head of Design
Ramesh Srinivasan is an American academic and professor of Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a joint appointment in Design/Media Arts.
Challenges
When I was introduced to Ramesh, he had been working with his publisher to design the perfect cover for his first book, but had been unsuccessful. The challenge was how to best represent the overall theme/message of the book in a compelling way.
Solutions
I went about designing two of Ramesh's book covers, by first reading the books in their entirety. I then produced several possible visual representations for the author's consideration. After agreeing on a concept, I created custom image composites and illustrations that captured the essense of each book.
Role
Graphic Designer, Illustrator
Throughout my career, I have created different logos for many types of businesses and events. Most recently, I created a logo for the Alfred Hitchcock Festival held in Scotts Valley, California.
Challenges
Coming up with the perfect logo can be challenging. The criteria can range from conveying what a company/event does to scalability to readability. In the case of the Alfred Hitchcock Festival, the visual representation had to be approved by the Hitchcock family.
Solutions
Solutions to challenges are always found through iteration and exploration. For the Alfred Hitchcock festival, I combined the iconic silhouette of Alfred Hitchcock with the silhouette of a crow, commonly associated with the filmmaker, through the use of negative space. This formed a simple and engaging image that perfectly represented Alfred Hitchcock and his film career.
Role
Graphic Designer, Illustrator
I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most recognizable brands.
These are a few kind words from people I have had the pleasure of working with.
[Dennis] goes broad and deep in information architecture and clean designs that allow him to thrive in a high-responsibility and high-collaboration environment."
Zack Steinkamp
People and Computers
Dennis Shepherd is a rare blend of creativity, technical expertise, and strategic thinking. He’s not just a product designer — he’s a visionary who understands how to craft high-end digital experiences that are both intuitive and impactful."
Filippo Ferri
Product Manager
Dennis is a fantastic collaborator: thoughtful, responsive, and great at bridging the gap between design and development. Any team would be lucky to have him!"
Paulina Grunwald
Senior Software Engineer
Feel free to contact me about any inqueries you may have. I look forward to hearing from you!
