At 9 years old, my dad gave me a crusty Mac with a copy of adobe suite installed. I would always make funny pictures and edit "epic bike jump" videos for my friends. I loved creating things that made people smile.
In undergrad, I studied behavioral economics. I loved deciphering stories about people from data. But once I graduated and began working in analytics at an ad agency, I found myself a bit bored.
Part of my job as an analyst was making data dashboards for clients. This was, by far, my favorite part. There was this artistic certainty and element of craftsmanship to it. I always tried to push my dashboards to new heights.
Eventually, one of our fortune 500 clients enjoyed my dashboards so much that they offered me a role as a UX Designer, and that's when I found what I was born to do.
I've focused much of my development on design strategy and leadership skills. Because of this, I've been able to lead two small design teams to be the best they can be. More than anything, I aim to do right by the folks I work with.
Innovation is a tough sector. Tight deadlines, low budgets, high pressure; and most of the time, your role is dependent on the success of your product. But compared to the joy of creating something new with talented people, its totally worth it.
I've got a natural knack for UX- but I knew that would only get me so far. I searched for the most challenging and prestigious UX Masters program out there, and soon found myself a student at Northwestern University, immersed in one of the best HCI programs on the planet.
Rarely has a design role been so focused that I ONLY needed to focus on UX. My love of all things tech has given me enough experience to meaningfully understand and speak to engineering, product, and business interests.
In my early years as a designer, I spent much of my free time doing contract work to accelerate into more prominent companies. These days, I prefer to spend my free time fly-fishing, golfing, playing video games with my wife... really anything BUT work. Here's a high level overview of my full-time roles up to now.
Senior Product Designer | Emerging Technologies @ Walmart
Jul 2022 - Present ~ ongoing
Senior Product Designer | Innovation Center @ McDonald's
Mar 2020 - Jun 2022 ~ 2 yr 4 mos
UX Designer | New Product Development Team @ Dillard's
Mar 2019 - Mar 2020 ~ 1 Yr 1 Mo
Analytics Specialist | Data Science Team @ MHP/Team SI
May 2018 - Mar 2019 ~ 11 Mo
“Working with Ethan has been a breath of fresh air. His humor lightens up the room, making joint exercises not just productive, but truly enjoyable. His design process and deep compassion for user needs brought a unique blend of expertise and empathy to our projects at McDonald's.”
“Ethan joined us at Dillard's with a keen eye for design and an eagerness to learn that truly set him apart. Watching him quickly grow into an exceptional designer was a highlight of our time together. His ability to absorb new concepts and apply them creativity was remarkable.”
