I got into design because of surf magazines. Not a career plan. Layout, photography, typography made me feel something as a kid, and that stuck. I studied graphic design, built a creative studio for outdoor sports companies, and later joined Google through an acquisition (Metaweb, now the Knowledge Graph). Over sixteen years I grew from IC to leading design for Search across successive paradigm shifts, building the organization and culture to match.
- AI Mode
- Personal Intelligence
- Agentic Search
- Google Discover
- Google News
- Google Podcasts
- Gboard
- Knowledge Graph
- Modernization of Search
- AI Persona & Voice
- Personalization Strategy, cross-Google
- Regulatory UX: EU competition law, GDPR, DOJ
- Safety programs: sensitive queries, vulnerable populations, privacy, and more
- Global UX org of 120+
- Established new disciplines: visual design, content design, motion, more
- Leveling and promotion systems for 500-person org
- 300+ interviews through VP level
Case Studies
Sample Work
Design Philosophy
Don't mistake legibility for communication
David Carson is famous for this line and it has been formative in my design thinking. Something can work perfectly and still say nothing. Usable but soulless. I believe craft is not just about function, but emotion.
Quality emerges through time and use
That's true for both products and people. I'm drawn to products that get richer over time, and try to design systems that allow that to happen. With people, it's about the long game. I was fortunate to have mentors who saw things in me before I saw them in myself, and I try to be that for the people I work with. Mentoring, coaching, building the conditions for growth. That's consistently where the most unexpected outcomes come from.
Most hard problems are balance problems
I've learned to be suspicious of clean answers, especially early. The right call almost always lives in tension with its opposite, whether that be in a project or a team. Fast enough and good enough. Opinionated and open to being wrong. My job is to hold that tension, not resolve it prematurely.
Leadership
Talking about yourself as a leader can be tricky. Here are some nice things people have said about me that (I hope) represent me when I'm at my best.
"Thanks for always being rigorous about the work and kind to the people."
— Mark
"You've been a durable beacon through many storms."
— David
"You saw something I could unlock even if I didn't have the same portfolio as you'd expect… You changed my life."
— Cliff
"Thanks for being an incredible reframer — I'm always excited to hear how you shift how people think about problems in a new way."
— Justin
"In a world where many can get, perhaps, slightly overwrought, you've always been something of an oasis of clarity and patience and warmth."
— Donal
"I'll always remember your care and support when I first became a manager. It meant the world to me… 5 years later, you remain the first person I think of when I'm stuck on a hard design problem or having a hard time."
— Elizabeth