I'm Dave.
Product Designer & Leader.
I currently lead product design at a new startup called Athletify. Previously, I led the product design team at MX.com, building experiences for the financial industry.
I’ve spent the past 10+ years in Utah, but I’m originally from the Midwest (Illinois and Wisconsin specifically).
Work.
Hiring is hard
HR job-posting software (especially the likes of Workday) often misses the mark for hiring managers. When I needed to recruit three designers for my team, the standard approach wasn't going to cut it. Our team was great, but our personality was getting lost in the monotonous job postings. Consistency in postings is important, but it hardly leaves room for creativity or gives a real feel of working at MX.
So, I decided to shake things up. I created a FigJam board to showcase the open roles. It was a virtual introduction to our team, highlighting the perks of joining us, and even included samples of our work. (After all, if we expect candidates to showcase their portfolio, why shouldn't we?) Instead of the usual LinkedIn job listing link, I shared the FigJam board. It caught people's attention and, more importantly, led us to hire three fantastic team members.
Spending Plan
We had learned a lot over the 8+ years of our previous budgeting feature. So it was time to re-think how we approached the problem.
Company
MX
Date
2020–2021
Role
Senior Product Designer
Helios 5
The mobile banking UI was overdue for an update after five years, feeling outdated and constricted. Our clients wanted more flexibility to tailor the UI to their brand.
The challenge? To revamp the UI and enhance its customization options without falling into the trap of scope creep typical in redesigns. In addition to leading design, I spearheaded the development of the inaugural theming documentation, a crucial asset for clients to personalize the app.
This project emerged as a major success at our annual client conference. The design overhaul and new theming features were key in securing multi-million dollar contracts and significantly expanding our mobile banking user base.
Strala
In 2017, I stepped away from my product design role at MX to join the founding team of Strala. It was more than a shift in companies; it was a chance to shape a new product's direction while leading its design.
Strala was all about simplifying and unifying tracking data for marketing teams. This led to sharper campaign reporting and boosted effectiveness. The company was acquired in 2019.
Influences.
Getting Real
This is more of a product management book than a design book. But the idea that getting working software in people’s hands is the ultimate validation test is a principle I still operate from 15+ years after reading this.
Creative Selection
A fantastic read from an engineer who worked on the development of the iPhone. It’s a testament that a small team of people and lots of iteration can accomplish incredible things.
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
It turns out that lots of principles from architecture apply to software. I flip through this very short book (with pictures!) regularly.
After work.
Ski
You'll find me on the slopes with my girls in the winter. We love spending time up at Sundance.
Play
I'm always in the process of writing & recording music. (No plans to release anything yet.)
Pup
Teaching our dog, Jack, tricks and playing frisbee became a hobby during the pandemic.