Shopify

Role: UX Design Manager
From: November 2020 - February 2022

What is Shopify

Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform that helps businesses create, manage, and scale online stores. It offers tools for website building, payments, shipping, and multi-channel sales, making it a go-to solution for entrepreneurs and enterprises alike. With customizable themes, apps, and developer tools, Shopify enables businesses to craft unique shopping experiences.

What Role I Played

I was the first design manager in Shopify’s Growth organization, leading a globally distributed team of ~20 designers across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Inheriting a diverse group of designers across different crafts and experience levels, I focused on aligning their strengths with the right projects and teams to maximize impact.

During a period of rapid expansion, I played a key role in shaping the design team’s culture by establishing strong collaboration practices, facilitating workshops, and introducing rituals like standups and critiques. I took on multiple roles as needed, supporting high-impact initiatives such as Free Tools, Lading Pages, Email Journeys, Paid, Brand Refresh, Sign-up Flows, CTA Experimentation, and internal data tools. Throughout, I prioritized creating clarity, direction, and support for the team, ensuring they could navigate change with a shared vision.

My Team

During my time at Shopify, the organization experienced several changes, my initial organizational structure started with 6 direct reports, and in a short period of time, I managed a distributed team of ~20 designers across the globe, spanning:

Brand Design – Crafting and evolving Mozilla’s visual identity
UX Design – Ensuring seamless, user-centered experiences
Motion Design – Bringing brand storytelling to life through animation
Product Design – Crafting user-centered solutions.
Creative Producer - Overseeing the development and execution of creative projects.