Riley Gerszewski
I have been described as a player-coach, meaning not only do I design the user experience but I also provide the design leadership required to make the experience great. I believe that a small cross-functional group of talented designers solving a problem on a white board is the cornerstone of creating a great user experience. Ideas happen there.
With over 15 years of experience spanning major shifts in the design industry, I've embraced opportunities to expand my skills and lead digital transformation initiatives.
A major theme throughout my career has been driving organizational change through digital product design. At STERIS, I spearheaded the creation of a design system to transform product development lifecycle workflows. And at PointClickCare, I helped shape mobile UX strategy and led the effort to transition from a hybrid to native iPad app. This allowed us to leverage Apple's evolving healthcare technology offerings. Leading complex digital transformation projects and promoting user-centered design thinking has been incredibly rewarding.
When I first started out, information architecture, UI, UX, interaction design, and visual design were often viewed as separate disciplines. But there has since been a convergence and inclusion of stronger business acumen which has led to the modern product designer role. A great product designer will still champion the needs of the user, but will also learn how to filter those user needs through business objectives. This more holistic approach has allowed me to drive greater alignment across product, design, and engineering teams.
I started my career using tools like Visio and OmniGraffle for wireframes, then evolved to using Photoshop, Sketch, and Figma. Most recently, I am focused on learning how to best leverage AI tools into the design process. While these tools share some similarities, each one required adapting to new workflows and capabilities. More than learning the tools themselves, the key has been understanding how each tool can help streamline the design process and provide time back for higher-order product design problem solving. The ability to adapt and quickly learn new design tools has been crucial over the course of my career.
The rise of smartphones and apps significantly impacted my work. It started with a mobile-first Target back-to-school website, then at Honeywell, I worked on Android and Apple smartphone and tablet apps to control IoT devices. I also led the design of an iPad app for ExxonMobil investors and an iPad app for home health nurses. These projects sharpened my skills in mobile-responsive and cross-platform design. The mobile revolution required me to adapt and expand my expertise to address the opportunities and constraints of designing for mobile devices and operating systems.
Earlier in my career, I mostly worked within waterfall processes. However, as agile became popularized, I pivoted to align with product teams. I have worked in agile environments for 10 years, and I believe a designer's greatest strength with agile development is being agile in your ability to learn the company's specific approach. Each organization implements agile a little differently. Rather than sticking to one process, I've focused on adapting to various agile frameworks and workflows. This flexibility has allowed me to collaborate effectively across product, design, and engineering.
I've always been a self-starter and continuous learner. 15 years ago designers did not need a design degree or any degree at all. If you were the person at the company who could do it, you just did it. To keep my skills current in this rapidly evolving industry, I make time to self-educate and learn new tools, approaches, and best practices. I have started giving back by creating articles and presentations to help others learn as well. Staying proactive and sharing knowledge has been crucial to building on my expertise throughout my career. More recently, as AI tools have emerged, I've made a concerted effort to skill up on leveraging AI in the design process.
Earlier in my career when hired as an individual contributor, I more often than not grew into positions of leadership. I've had opportunities to manage both onsite and remote teams. Leading remote teams required adapting my management style to promote collaboration and alignment. I also enjoy mentoring junior designers to help strengthen their skills. Throughout my career, I've focused on developing leadership qualities and helping guide the next generation of designers.