Co-Founder & Head of Design
Somnistics Research Labs, Inc.
Leading design and user experience for Pausality, a science-backed breathing app with real-time biometric feedback for high-performance professionals. The app delivers measurable stress reduction through Apple Watch integration and scientifically-sequenced breathing techniques designed for busy professionals.
About
Design leader with two decades of experience building and scaling UX teams at global media and technology companies, now designing at the intersection of scalable design systems, AI and human experience.
Previously VP of UX&D at Audible, Director of Design at MSNBC, and Head of UX&D at BBC where I sponsored the Global Experience Language. Creator of app.itize.us, a curated stream of mobile app design. Always interested in discussing design over a perfectly extracted double espresso. Yes, my machine is from Italy.
Innovation & Patents
Pioneering #DTLA hashtag
First documented use • April 29, 2007
First documented use of #DTLA as the hashtag abbreviation for Downtown Los Angeles, organically coined. This cultural innovation became widely adopted across social media platforms, establishing a lasting digital identifier for one of LA's most vibrant districts.
app.itize.us
View Site • Launched 2010
Created a curated blog showcasing the best-designed mobile apps during the early iPhone era.
Communication Arts: "Not like any other collection of apps we've ever seen"
Design Observer: "A collection of the best-designed and illustrated iPhone apps"
BoingBoing.net: "Nice simple UI, and nice app selections, mostly indie stuff I hadn't heard of. I think he has good taste."
Enhanced Hyperlink Feature for Web Pages
US Patent #8,135,617 • Issued Oct 18, 2007
Invention of a contextual content delivery system (CCDS) that enhances conventional web content with intelligent pop-up bubbles. The system automatically identifies words or links in documents, determines their context, and displays appropriate information when users hover over elements, pioneering contextual web interaction design.
Career Highlights
Multi-Office Design Leadership
BOLD
Led a multidisciplinary design team across San Francisco, Puerto Rico, and Warsaw, focusing on product design, brand creative, and user research to build the leading consumer-facing resume & cover letter builder tools for job seekers globally.
Digital Content Platform Migration
Amazon App Store
Led migration of digital content experience from the consumer shopping app to a dedicated application, enabling more seamless access to digital content consumption and improving user engagement with digital products.
Voice-First Audio Experience
Audible
Spearheaded global digital rebranding deployment across platforms and created the first audio-first experience on Amazon Echo for audiobooks, pioneering VUI design for digital content consumption.
Post-Acquisition Brand Relaunch
MSNBC
Led the complete relaunch of msnbc.com brand identity and digital experience following the Comcast acquisition from Microsoft, establishing new design standards and user experience across all digital touchpoints, incl. establishing a data journalism deptartment.
Post-Acquisition Digital Transformation
The Huffington Post
Led the redesign of The Huffington Post's digital experience following the AOL/TimeWarner acquisition, establishing scalable design systems and enhancing user engagement through data-informed design while mentoring a high-performing design team across multiple verticals.
Global Design System Implementation
BBC
Led the creation and implementation of the Global Experience Language (GEL), establishing design consistency across 400+ digital products and reducing development time by 40%.