Hi! I’m Cass, a lead product designer with a multi-disciplinary background in product management, operations, creative writing, and music business.
Hi! I’m Cass, a lead product designer with a multi-disciplinary background in product management, operations, creative writing, and music business.
As a design professional, I’m passionate about creating things that look cool while being enjoyably useful, accessible, and impactful. I’m not satisfied just pushing pixels. We have gpts for that now. I value strategy, gathering real data to make decisions, systems thinking, and designing through a holistic lens with principles of usability, beauty, and aesthetics. The type of work that gives a company differentiators and keeps users happy enough to want to come back.
In short, I’ve been crafting genuine, gratifying experiences for users since 2017 and meaningful, fun experiences with everyone in my life since 1992. Let’s work together.
Finalist: Best Investment Research Tech @ Benzinga Global Fintech Awards
Winner: Data Initiative of the Year @ US Fintech Awards
Winner: BondLink Values Award @ BondLink
Published: UX Case Study on City of Boston's Official Site
As a human, I have hobbies and a family with two small dogs. I'm not taking a nap alone in the photo above—did you spot my pup?
I’m really into markets. Much of my career has been in fintech, and because I have a strong interest in finance and new technologies, my personal usage of a variety of platforms informs my work.
I collect and sometimes sell hats, shoes and sneakers, and vintage menswear and pieces from the 80s-y2k. Clothes are fun in general, but when you’re at a thrift store and you find something that is your size, fly, and doesn’t smell too bad? Rick Flair woo! I started thrifting three years before Macklemore’s song if that makes me seem any cooler.
I’m a big competitor and love playing team sports, as well as some individual and extreme ones. I powerlift—hate squat day but love deadlift and bench day. I also have been snowboarding and skateboarding—yes, adults skate—since I was 8. I’m pretty strong, pretty good, and pretty bad, respectively.
I went to school for music, business, and creative writing. In another life, I kept with it and am in entertainment or copyright law at worst or a tv & film music supervisor at best. Though if cover band rapper ever becomes a hot market, I’m changing my name to Cassh (like my name and last initial) and going for it.
“Alexa, give me the weather for today.”
[Aggressive Version] “I can only understand politeness. Please retry your phrasing.”
[Passive Aggressive Version] Silence
“Alexa, I meant may I please have the weather for today?”
“Of course. Today will have a high of...”
Buying a ticket from an airline?
Nope. You're giving trust that the airline will have a responsible pilot.
Buying a meal from a restaurant?
Nope. You're giving trust that the chef won't drool into your food.
Opening a checking account at a bank?
Nope. You're trusting that they won't mishandle funds.
Like Granddaddy Don Norman (and Jared Spool) always said, the best design is invisible.
Ok, this metaphor doesn't track 100%, but I have a point. Most of the best work is done without any expectation of applause, recognition, a pat on the back, or even a "thank you." I think we're in a social environment that rewards loudness and visibility, sometimes at the expense of quality. We all have seen a website that looks incredible, and has collected awards, but has terrible UX. We all have muted a person who is clearly farming content from smart people and putting it into an AI chatbot with a "please reword" prompt; and yet that person is getting positive attention.
The flashy will get chosen over the usable. The loud over the quiet. This is not an original take. They made many 80s and 90s teen movies about it.
If someone doesn't have a voice or presence on social media, then that person might lose some credibility. We're all expected to be thought leaders, chasing reposts and shares.
Shout out to the designers putting everything into their work for the work.
Michael Scott is GOATed.
But sometimes, I think comparison can get in the way of good old-fashioned enjoyment and laughter. The pool party episode? His Halloween story? Come on.
Refresh to see new random items and new random item images, too.
