I’m a product and design strategy leader with two decades of experience scaling teams, shaping platform ecosystems, and empowering design to be a force for impact, not just aesthetics.

I work at the intersection of systems thinking, intelligent tooling, and human-centered design, connecting vision to delivery, and guiding teams through ambiguity with structure, intention, and humanity.

Hello! I’m Christine.

Based in Melbourne, VIC, Australia // US Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident

Full working rights in both the US and Australia. More than a decade of experience working remotely with globally distributed teams across time zones, disciplines, and product verticals.

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intention

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systems thinking

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human focus

〰️ intention 〰️ systems thinking 〰️ human focus

I lead at scale and design for impact

Leadership is more than vision. Through the strategic lens of People, Process, and Product, I connect day-to-day decisions to long-term outcomes, and ensure design remains a force multiplier across the business. 

People

Vision + velocity: design leadership and organizational strategy

I grow resilient teams and orgs, mentor and coach ICs, managers, and managers of managers, map roles and people to purpose, define growth frameworks, and treat people as humans first, employees second.

Process

Systems + insights: design operations and intelligence

I build scalable design principles, processes and intelligence systems — dashboards, trackers, templates, and workflows that support communication, collaboration, and delivery. An Ops mindset is core to how I think and lead.

Product

Storytelling + execution: product strategy and experience architecture

I shape platform experiences and communicate design vision that helps teams cut through complexity and ship meaningful products. On high-profile work, I step in early to clarify strategy, align teams, and build momentum from the start.

Parachute

Signal in the noise: design leadership in real-time

I empower teams, but I also know when to drop in. I’ve parachuted into high-stakes moments to re-architect experiences, reset direction, and rebuild trust. I lead with precision, not control — diagnosing problems, guiding direction, and clearing the path forward.

Leading through the AI shift

It just wouldn’t be a design leadership site without a statement about AI at this point. So here’s mine:

AI is a structural movement, not a side experiment, and it’s here whether we fight it or not. Design leaders need to go beyond prompt fluency and vibe coding to integrate AI into everyday strategy and practice. That means building the roles, tools, and workflows that make AI a core part of how design teams operate.

My approach:

  • Position AI Ops directly alongside Design Ops and Research Ops

  • Create resilient systems that shift designers from pixel-pushing to problem-framing

  • Train teams to use their expertise to guide, refine, and apply AI outputs to drive real impact

I lead now, but I started with craft…

Before stepping into senior management, I spent a decade as a hands-on designer, researcher, content strategist, and architect, often doubling as a player-coach. I’ve also led full UX teams of designers, writers, researchers, ops, and QA. That foundation still grounds how I lead: with fluency in the craft, awareness of constraints, and feedback that’s both strategic and specific.

UX + product research

UX design

Content strategy + UX writing

Information architecture

UX Ops

Beyond the org chart: teaching, mentoring, and independent impact

Beyond my core design roles, I’ve mentored designers, developed curriculum, and coached early-career talent.

I’ve also worked as a fractional designer, researcher, and product strategist with teams across industries to shape products, processes, and practices.

    • Mentored upwards of 50 mentees via Springboard, the Interaction Design Foundation UX bootcamp, and independently.

    • Participated as a mentor for Charleston Women in Tech and mentored individually and small cohorts/groups

    • Consulted on RookieUp and Interaction Design Foundation overall curriculum design for multiple UX bootcamps

      • Helped shift the programs so they focused on helping students solve problems not just check boxes in projects

    • Authored portions of Springboard’s UX Bootcamp curriculum related to UX research

    • Featured speaker for multiple years at Benefitfocus’ annual sales conference

    • Speaker at Giant Conf 2015

    • Ran workshops with customers and internal employees to train them on how to conduct UX research and parse through data to gain insights

  • Some of the highlights from my freelance work:

    • Designed web interface for client-scheduling tool

    • Designed website for therapy-therapist matching app

    • Conducted research for how patients and caregivers would use a smart shoe insert and its related app to detect and prevent falls in patients suffering from neuropathy

    • Built a research database using social media marketing, and created a full participant recruitment and engagement program for an agency that worked with several clients

    • Created the initial user interface designs for a healthcare communication app

While I’ve stepped back from teaching and independent projects to focus on scaling my current design org (and to raise a small human), I’m looking forward to re-engaging in the near(ish) future.

In the meantime, explore the books, blogs, tools, and courses I’ve shared with mentees, teammates, and collaborators, along with a growing collection of templates I’ve created to help scale design practices.