Austin, Texas, United States
I love to investigate customer problems and find solutions using modern technology. I use design and applied AI to drive business growth, add value for users, and create emotional connections between people and brands. To achieve these objectives, I deliver key outcomes, support my team through service, and adapt quickly to new learnings. Facilitating knowledge-sharing across teams is integral to my strategy for effective stakeholder management and sustained business success. With over 5+ years of experience as a usability analyst and 10+ years of experience in brand, visual, web, and marketing design, I bring a holistic approach to product design. My passion for solving complex problems, creating value for the customer, and driving business growth helps me deliver measurable outcomes that exceed expectations. I am confident in my creativity and strategy expertise, which enables me to craft product design projects that push boundaries, delight users, and deliver measurable outcomes. Over the years, I have learned the following about myself: I can meet business goals with brand value for successful sell-outs from $15,000 to $1,500,000+ • I bridge business objectives and customer needs with a product-led approach • I execute big ideas within constraints • Instincts are good, but data validates decisions I can align, lead, and mentor others • I’m always of service to the team, no matter the role • I can speak design, tech, and founder-speak • The buck stops with me I educate, refine, and drive myself • Always learning, never settling • My grit shines in adversity • I prioritize data-informed decisions for quality outcomes I enjoy meeting new people and hearing new perspectives. Let's connect and embark on a journey to shape the future of digital experiences together or talk about our dogs. Professional Skills: Product Design | Collaboration | Innovation | User Experience (UX Design) | User Interface (UI Design) | Prototype Design | Interaction Design | Visual Design | Design Systems | Product Analytics | Design Thinking | Agile Development | User Research | Illustration | Cross-functional Collaboration | Leadership and Mentorship | Strategy | Communication | Project Management | Client Management Domain Knowledge: B2C | Climate Tech | FoodService Tech | MarTech | Pet Products and Services | Small Business Software | eCommerce | Veterinary Practice Software
Working here to cover expenses while attending Brandeis University's Masters of Science in UX Design program. "Thank you for being on our team! I love how personable, insightful, and curious you are. I know when you're on the floor, our Customer Connections are happening. Thank you so much for all of your hard work!" - Alec Graf, Store Manager (now District Manager) _________________ Collecting Tips in a Cashless Society – To Reduce Drive-Thru Times & Increase Paychecks Food Service Tech (B2C App) Starbucks (Self-initiated Project) • Conducted short interviews to discover customers' and partners' pain points • Implemented targeted solutions to improve order accuracy and reduce service time by 5%. • Reduced friction in the drive-thru by 3% • Galvanized customer trust in the digital payment system by 10% • Shortened task time to completion for mobile digital tipping by 3% • Increased barista's paycheck on average by 18%
7 Lucky Dogs Creative, my freelance business, evolved from a brand and marketing communications agency (including web design) to a new focus on digital and product design. • Collaborates with clients and partners to devise strategic roadmaps • Conducts user research to validate hypotheses for experiences • Articulates design's significance in business objectives and risk mitigation • Develop interactive prototypes using tools like Figma • Simplifies complex subjects for stakeholders at all levels • Applies consumer behavior insights to enhance B2C offerings • Refines designs through feedback and collaboration • Engages in the entire product development cycle, from research to development
Contracted by Solertium, a boutique smartphone app development firm based in Orlando, Florida, to enhance the visual design system for an iOS consumer-facing product. _________________ Evoking Emotional Connection To Increase User Adoption & Retention Delivery Service (B2C App) • Contributed to a 300% increase in Market 2Day's smartphone app adoption by employing design science to evoke an emotional connection to the brand and software through a new aesthetic & design system. • Improved workflow and output by 10% by implementing Asana, and introducing job request forms, project roadmaps, and documentation needs to my practice. • Iterated on color palettes, button shapes, and typefaces that expanded the current design system to new features yet remained faithful to the brand's personality. _________________ Dara and I have had a great working relationship, partnering up on a variety of projects over the years. Sometimes I'm the client and other times she is, on both short and long term engagements. I know I can trust her to make it work with a variety of clients. Dara is thoughtful, listens, and brings a great depth of experience to the table. Most recently Dara joined in on one of our web/mobile application projects, when the client wanted to refresh the look and feel. Dara's strong understanding of typography, design systems, and color theory contributed to the largely successful adoption of our client's app. I look forward to continue working with Dara in the future! - Alison Heittman, CEO of Solertium
Engaged by LuvMyPet.com (now Vetco) to design a promotional flyer template for their clinics held in Petco stores nationwide. The expanded branding system contributed to a professional look that led to Petco acquiring LuvMyPet.com and renaming the service Vetco. _________________ Informing Pet Parents At The Right Moment To Reduce Decision Fatigue & Increase Clinical Outcomes Veterinary Services (B2C App) • Expanded LuvMyPet.com’s visual branding system from the current website to the promotional flyer, unifying all existing customer touchpoints & contributing to the acquisition by Petco. • Iteratively designed a promotional flyer template in collaboration with the Marketing Director. A/B tested layout, legibility, & substrate formats. • Saved $250,000+ per quarter for a retail chain of 1,500 stores by utilizing data variability for printing, saving production time by 50% with reduced printing costs by 25%. _________________ My company has worked with 7 Lucky Dogs on several graphic and web design projects over the past 1.5 years. Dara & Team are consummate professionals who always listen intently to our needs, communicate with us proactively, and offer constructive feedback & ideas. We have been extremely happy with the materials that they have delivered – their work was consistently stellar and was finished on time. Clearly the 7 Lucky Dogs team has the skills needed in graphics, web, and programming to “do the job” well. However, it is their knowledge of the industry, creativity, and their customer service that have led us to use their services multiple times and highly recommend them to others. - Julie Stern Wills, Co-founder and COO of Everloved Veterinary End-off-Life Pet Care
_________________ Dissolving Bottlenecks To Reduce Friction & Create Delightful Experiences Specializing in B2C Apps • Examined 100+ websites & apps on First Gen iPad, iPhone 8 Plus & MacBook Pro with iOS using: • Heuristic Evaluation • Think Aloud Protocol • WCAG 2.2
Interactive & Web Design