Hello, my name is Tim.

I am a creative with an MBA in marketing. Designer first. Everything else second.

I’m often asked why I went to business school. Yet, I’ve always wondered why more creatives aren’t as curious? For me, I wanted to become a better designer and I understood the importance of influence. More specifically, I wanted to speak the same language as my clients to better understand their unique needs. I needed to convince them to take a creative journey with me and reassure them the results will positively impact the bottom line.

I started in design.

Being creative is a gift. The challenge has always been harnessing the power of my overactive imagination. In art school, we studied core principles of design: space, color, typography, imagery etc. That background in visual communication has been the foundation of my professional career.

I have always been drawn to technology. Learning HTML/CSS was easy. Designing mobile apps was fun. Working for a custom web development agency, I was exposed to a variety of programming languages and frameworks. The reality of technology is that tools come and go. The key is being able to learn and adapt quickly.

Marketing.

UX and marketing are closely connected. Both must identify and work to understand a target audience. Both require recognizing the competition and leveraging a unique position in the marketplace. Both depend on testing, analyzing, adapting, and delivering results. My background in marketing and foundation in design is perfect for experience design.

UX is about people.

Advances in AI and machine learning will continue to deliver insights and automation. However, I believe that the human element will never be replaced. We are impulsive. Unpredictable. We are relationship driven and prefer to work with people we trust. That takes time and energy to develop.

Connecting is a skill.

I’m at home around designers in a studio. I’m experienced enough to hold my own in a huddle with software engineers. I can handle the pressure of a board room. Designers, developers and strategic leaders all speak a different language. Knowing when to dial it up or down is a skill. I don’t know too many people that can take complex ideas and translate them into meaningful conversations with any audience.