I lead teams to create unmistakable visual worlds — then systematize them so they scale fast, stay consistent, and ship beautifully. Trusted by Google, GE Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Herman Miller, Whirlpool, and Gartner. My practice is rooted in a Fluxus mindset: interdisciplinary, concept-forward, and execution-complete.
Art Direction
Design Systems
Brand-to-Product
Visual Leadership
CX Audit + Strategy
Cross-Functional Leadership
Figma-First Workflows
Accessibility + Craft
Voice & Narrative
00Selected Impact
- Built & scaled enterprise design systems adopted across 40+ product lines and hundreds of stakeholders
- Led component libraries enabling faster delivery, visual coherence, and reduced rework
- Directed cross-platform UI frameworks (web + mobile) with accessibility and governance baked in
- Delivered product ecosystems spanning dashboards, responsive apps, and data visualization
- Facilitated stakeholder alignment through workshops, critiques, and story-led presentations
01Experience
PBK Studio LLC — Founder & Principal
2021 — Present
Art Direction · Design Systems · Product Design · Brand Identity · Web · Motion · Voice · Music
Independent multidisciplinary studio — incorporated as a full LLC in May 2026 — operating across art direction, design systems, product design, brand identity, web development, motion art, voice performance, and original music production.
- Client work spans enterprise design systems (healthcare, fintech, insurance), real estate microsites, consumer brand identity, and responsive web builds.
- Designs with governance and developer handoff built in — Figma-first, token-driven, accessibility-aware.
- Original music released as PitchBlacKnight — first-take improv sessions, live-mastered, no overdubs. SAG-eligible voice performance for commercial, narrative, and sonic branding. 24+ years of craft applied across every discipline the studio touches.
Verizon — Senior Design System Designer II
Dec 2025 – Jan 2026
Contract via Insight Global · Fully Remote
Senior design systems designer on Verizon's mature, post-rebrand enterprise system — end-to-end across iOS, Android, and web teams.
- Owned primitive and semantic design tokens, variables, and component architecture driving cross-platform parity.
- Built a scalable calendar/date-picker family engineered for theming and platform variance.
- Led design-to-code alignment via Figma Dev Mode and Code Connect; authored AI-augmented contribution patterns.
Avant — Senior Product / Design Systems Designer
May 2021 – Aug 2024
Full-Time · Hybrid / Chicago, IL
Led design and development of Avant's Pathfinder™ Design System and a marketing design library spanning product and brand.
- Defined visual language, component architecture, governance model, and contribution patterns for multi-platform consistency.
- Introduced a brand/marketing design library that streamlined consistency for 350+ internal stakeholders.
GE Healthcare — Senior UX/UI Designer, Design Systems
Jan 2020 – Feb 2021
Contract · Hybrid / Chicago, IL
Core contributor on the award-winning Edison Design System™ — a token-driven foundation unifying 40+ regulated enterprise products.
- Central role in winning the 2020 Red Dot Award, Fast Company Innovation by Design, and dmi:DVA Award for Interface Design.
- Developed scalable Figma component libraries across diverse teams; ensured WCAG compliance for regulated healthcare environments.
Blue Cross Blue Shield — Senior Design Systems Designer
May 2018 – Dec 2019
Contract · Hybrid / Chicago, IL
Created the FIBER™ Design System — a token-driven, React-compatible framework that unified 40+ screens across enrollment and member flows.
- Defined typography, color, grids, iconography, and coded components with theming hooks.
- Partnered with developers to translate designs into React components; established accessibility and documentation standards.
TransUnion — Senior UX Designer, Design Systems
May 2018 – Jun 2019
Contract · Hybrid / Chicago, IL
Designed the global TUCM Design System™ and TrueCredit consumer rebrand for customer-facing and internal applications.
- Built responsive, scalable UI libraries with integrated tokens; established universal style guidelines and design-to-code workflows.
Maven Wave / Eviden — UX Senior Lead, Design Systems
Jan 2005 – May 2018
Full-Time · Hybrid / Chicago, IL
Directed conceptual and visual direction across Fortune 500 client projects, integrating UX principles with brand storytelling.
- Established scalable design workflows and early design-system patterns for clients including Google, AT&T, and Nike.
- Created prototypes, journey maps, and digital ecosystems across app, web, and co-branded products; mentored design teams.
Biersma Creative — Senior Designer & UX Lead
Jan 2006 – Jan 2013
Full-Time · Chicago, IL
Led visual brand and UX direction across healthcare, retail, and entertainment for clients including Aflac, AbbVie, Crate & Barrel, Disney, Google, Nike, Herman Miller, and Salesforce.
Firebelly Design — Senior Graphic Designer
Jan 2002 – Jan 2005
Full-Time · Chicago, IL
Concept-to-execution brand and web design for ComEd, Petco, Harris Bank, and Scholastic.
02Skills
Design Systems Leadership · Composable / Token-Driven Systems · W3C Design Tokens · Figma (Variables, Dev Mode, Code Connect) · Component Architecture · Multi-Brand Theming · UI/UX Design · Cross-Platform Parity (iOS · Android · Web) · Visual Design Craft · Brand Systems & Generative Identity · Accessibility-by-Default (WCAG 2.2 / 3.0) · AI-Augmented Design Workflows · Documentation & Governance · DesignOps · Adobe Creative Suite · HTML / CSS · Motion · Voice Performance
03Awards & Education
2020 Red Dot Award — Interface Design
Edison Design System · GE Healthcare
2020 Fast Company — Innovation by Design
2020 dmi:DVA — Design Value Award
MSU Film Festival — 1st Place, Published Works
Missouri State University · Springfield, MO
BFA Summa Cum Laude — Electronic Arts & Design
Minor: Mass Media & Communications