Courtney Clark

Design leader + mentor · Building teams, vision, and AI-ready systems that let complex orgs move fast · UX, IA, A11y

Greater Seattle Area

About

I make enterprise complexity navigable — for users, for teams, and for the business. With 15+ years working at the intersection of information architecture and product strategy, I've led design on platforms serving millions of users, unified fragmented product experiences at scale, and built the operational infrastructure that lets design organizations actually function. I do my best work when the problem is genuinely hard: tangled platforms, misaligned stakeholders, or a team that needs to find its footing fast. 📍 Right now I'm a UX Manager at Qualtrics, leading design for the Reporting & Analytics Platform. My team serves 1 million monthly active users and owns the experience driving 36% of all platform engagement. We're building the future of how analysts make sense of their data — using AI, dashboards, and advanced analytics to turn insights into action. I partner with cross-functional leaders across product, engineering, and data to shape platform strategy and deliver outcomes that move the business forward. 💜 I'm also Guest Faculty at the University of Washington, where I teach Information Architecture and Design Methods to the next generation of UX practitioners. 🧭 How I lead: I'm an information architect at heart with a knack for operationalizing anything. I help teams move from implicit to explicit, from stuck to unstuck. I build the conditions for people to do their best work — and then get out of the way. My direct reports tell me I challenge them to ask better questions, share tools and resources generously, and follow through on feedback. 🧼 Soapboxes: Empathy is not enough. Everyone is a designer. Kill your darlings. Clear is kind. The future of work is remote. 🔎 What I'm looking for: The next hard problem. Every few years I find a new challenge — a new domain, a new scale, a new set of stakeholders to align. That's how I grow, and how I make teams and products better. Give me your hairiest, most ambiguous problem. 🌟 Craft: UX · Information Architecture · Accessibility · AI feature design · DesignOps · Platform strategy 🌈 Past Clients: The ALS Association, Peace Corps, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, The Gates Foundation, The MacArthur Foundation, and many more. 🎤 Speaking Engagements: I've presented on UX, design research, accessibility, data-informed design, content strategy, and design systems at conferences like The O’Reilly Design Conference, The Nonprofit Technology Conference, Good Tech Fest, Big Design, and DrupalCon.

Experience

  • Guest Faculty Member at University of Washington Information School
    Mar 2025 - Present · 1 yr 5 mos

    Instructor for INFO 331 - Intro to Information Architecture Introduction to Information Architecture (IA) methodologies and tools used to design and build information spaces. Discusses IA core concepts of navigation, labeling, data modeling, taxonomy and information personas. Also discusses wireframes, sitemaps, information design and integrating IA work with a UX strategy.

  • UX Manager at Qualtrics
    Feb 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

    • Leading design for the Reporting & Analytics Platform. My team serves 1 million monthly active users and owns the experience that drives 36% of all platform engagement. We're building the future of how analysts make sense of their data—using AI, dashboards, and advanced analytics to turn insights into action. I partner with cross-functional leaders to shape platform strategy and deliver outcomes that move the business forward. • Current work: Unifying 2 platforms. This work includes strategy, roadmapping, estimation, scoping, and ongoing prioritization. Establish and drive a vision for the future of the Qualtrics platform. • Improving operational effectiveness with cross-functional partners, including UX, product management, engineering, data science, etc.

  • Senior Manager, Product Design at Smartsheet
    Jan 2023 - Jan 2024 · 1 yr 1 mo

    • Led 7 product designers that own Wayfinding & Apps, which included home, global navigation, AI assistant, search, notifications and email, mobile app, desktop app. We helped millions of customers find their most important work. • Established and drove a vision for the future of wayfinding and design at Smartsheet. • Led major redesigns for: AI assistant, home, notifications, email modernization, and search affecting 13.2 million customers and 32+ million emails/day. • Led problem definition and customer segmentation for various initiatives and features. • Partner with cross-functional teammates to strategize and deliver on company OKRs and near-term projects.

  • Forum One (16 yrs 3 mos)
    • Vice President of Design
      Nov 2018 - Nov 2022 · 4 yrs 1 mo

      • Led creative vision and provide thought leadership across business units to foster creative, high quality work rooted in audience needs and business objectives. • Served on the executive team, guiding 10+ company-wide initiatives including annual planning, service growth, transformation, and improved processes. • Reported directly to the CEO. Work cross-functionally with multiple teams • Led team of 15 designers (3 managers), including interactive designers, user experience designers, and researchers • Streamlined and improved hiring, career growth, mentorship, and performance management. • Transformed user experience solutions for 10+ multi-million dollar organizations. • Spearheaded company-wide initiatives and education on topics like accessibility, inclusive design, participatory design. • Speaker at 9+ design industry conferences.

    • Managing Director of User Experience
      Feb 2016 - Nov 2018 · 2 yrs 10 mos

      • Grew and improved the UX practice and portfolio. • Hired, managed, and mentored a team of 6 designers. • Led product discovery, research, and design for 20+ projects. • Increased efficiency and identified new design opportunities while coordinating with practice leads and leadership. • Supported the sales process, including estimation, proposal creation, and sales presentations for 15+ opportunities. • Presented at 10+ industry and sector events.

    • Senior User Experience Designer
      May 2013 - Feb 2016 · 2 yrs 10 mos

      • Managed the user experience of development initiatives for 30+ clients. • Developed tailored design solutions that balance an organization’s mission and the needs of its audiences. • Managed 5+ design contractors, ensured quality, and coordinated schedules. • Led comprehensive user research activities to characterize and prioritize audiences through user surveys, interviews, heuristic evaluations, and usability research. • Illustrated the structure and functionality of the user interface by creating documentation such as user flows, business process flows, schematic drawings, wireframes, and sitemaps. • Built and extended brands online, overseeing design and development teams in order to maximize ease of use and improve the overall user experience.

  • Junior Interaction Designer at University of Kansas
    2004 - 2006 · 2 yrs

    • Supported the redesign of major university website. • Conducted research including site audits, competitive surveys, user profiles. • Created site maps, wireframes and task flows. • Web development.