About
Hello there! Nice to meet ya. I'm Sam, and I'm a user experience designer based in Brooklyn, NY.
I'm currently designing digital experiences at Disney Streaming, with a focus on video product acquisition.
As a designer, I tend to gravitate towards systems thinking and I strive to build helpful products that leave our collective relationships with technology a little better than we found them. A puzzle solver at heart, I’m energized by complexity and the solutioning process that design can facilitate.
Like many in this profession, I’ve taken a few detours on my way to UX.* My formal background in civil engineering cemented an appreciation of systematic approaches to problem solving. From my time in small business, I learned the importance of empathy in driving people-first experiences.
It’s through these lenses that I approach my work to deliver designs that bridge innovation and impact.
*You too? Let’s chat! I love swapping origin stories.
Experience
Senior Product Designer, Disney Streaming
Nov 2022 - present / New York, NY
Stay tuned!
Senior UX Designer, Tanium
Sep 2021 - Aug 2022 / New York, NY
UX module lead for product suite that enables IT admins to patch & deploy software across their endpoints
Sr. Lead UX Designer, DIRECTV
Jul 2020 - Sep 2021 / New York, NY
Led the redesign of a new purchasing experience for directv.com's relaunch of their streaming & satellite TV services
Lead UX Designer, AT&T
Oct 2016 - Jul 2020 / New York, NY
Designed user-friendly customer experiences with an emphasis on end-to-end framework optimizations for wireless and TV products
UX Consultant, Gyro
Sep 2016 - Oct 2016 / New York, NY
Collaborated with strategy teams to develop wireframes for clients across the financial, hospitality, and food sectors.
Online Director, Modern Martial Arts
Jun 2012 – Dec 2015 / New York, NY
Established and grew the digital operations of a multi-location martial arts studio, tripling online revenue within a two year span.
Education
B.S. in Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Dec 2007 / Pittsburgh, PA
UX Design Immersive, General Assembly
June 2016 / New York, NY
Miscellaneous
Left-handed
Can solve a rubiks cube in a minute(ish)
Black belt in taekwondo
Fluent in French
What's it like to work with me?
"
Sam is a great presenter; outwardly calm and knowledgeable she inspires confidence in the work. She’s autonomous and accountable, both are rare qualities and hard to teach. Her UX is thoughtful, thorough, and logical.
- Barb H., Associate Director
"
Sam’s can-do attitude made our teams working relationship very seamless; She is always willing to help the team and is very collaborative. Sam’s vision to decipher simple as well as complicated edge cases made our user experience smooth. I look forward to partnering with her on more critical initiatives!
- Anonymous peer feedback
"
When the reorg hit our team and shook up everyone’s comfort zones, Sam was one of the first ones to step up and embrace the change. We needed everyone to wear more hats than they were accustomed to and Sam did just that, and did it in a way that not only engendered trust with leadership and product management, but also forged a strong bond with the development teams.
- Marc K., Design Director