About
Amanda has worked in the UX community for over 10 years, starting in adtech before transitioning to government contracting. While her education started in information technology, she stumbled into the human-centered computing field and quickly fell in love. Her “aha moment” came after realizing she could create a career centered around her passion for people, art, and technology.
In her spare time, you can find her reading fantasy novels and exploring Baltimore with her family.
Professional Skills & Expertise
- Human-Centered Design & Strategy: Deep expertise in applying human-centered design across complex systems. Balancing user needs with business goals through thoughtful research, service design, and systems thinking. Adept at navigating regulated environments and driving design decisions that create real value at scale.
- Interaction & Visual Design Excellence: Skilled in crafting accessible, aesthetically compelling interfaces grounded in strong visual principles. Delivers mocks paired with seamless interaction patterns, sometimes contributing directly to front-end implementation. Experienced in building and scaling design systems that support consistency and efficiency.
- Rapid Execution & Iteration: Thrives in fast-paced environments, consistently delivering high-quality work with speed and flexibility. Known for iterative, transparent workflows that incorporate feedback early and often. Enabling continuous improvement without sacrificing clarity or craft.
- Collaboration & Cross-Functional Leadership: Builds strong relationships across product, engineering, content, and stakeholders to align teams around a shared vision. Experienced in agile methodologies, backlog management, and facilitating collaborative decision-making that keeps product and design strategies in sync.
- Communication, Documentation & Advocacy: Exceptional communicator with a knack for turning complex ideas into actionable, well-structured outputs. Creates clarity through strong documentation, engaging presentations, and visual storytelling. A vocal advocate for inclusive design, clear processes, and team alignment.
- Mentorship, Community & Team Empowerment: Dedicated to building inclusive, psychologically safe teams where designers can grow. Provides mentorship, shares knowledge, and encourages collaboration. Active in the design community, leading talks, organizing events, and promoting ongoing learning and knowledge exchange.
Tools & Technologies
- Design & Prototyping: Figma, Adobe CC, Sketch
- Research & Testing: Trymata, UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, Moderated & Unmoderated User Tests
- Project Management: Azure DevOps, Agile, SAFe, Atlassian Suite (Confluence, Jira), Miro, Mural, LLMs/ChatGPT
- Development Collaboration: HTML, CSS, GitHub, various visual editors such as Webflow, ServiceNow, and WordPress
Education & Certifications
- UX Management Certification from NN/g
-
- Being a UX Leader: Essential Skills for Any UX Practitioner
- Designing Influence
- Facilitating UX Workshops, Nielsen Norman Group class
- Generating Big Ideas with Design Thinking
- CX Transformation and Journey Management
- Design Tradeoffs and UX Decision Frameworks
- Web Accessibility "Deep Dive" & IAAP WAS Certification Preparation 2.2 from Deque University
- Design Research Techniques, Cooper Professional Education
- M.S. Human-Centered Computing – University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- B.S. Information Systems – University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Awards
2023 Culture Code Awardee for Open Dialog, Fearless
Winners of this award value the trust created through dialogue and openness. They see that everyone has a voice, and the team thrives when each individual feels able to share freely. There are no hidden agendas; and they are openly working to make their craft and company better.
“Amanda asks questions that may be uncomfortable and receptive to answers even if they aren't exactly aligned with her expressed desires. She opens up the conversation to ensure that everyone benefits, while celebrating the wins publicly when she can.“ – Award Nominee
