HELLO, I’M ASHLEY

I find ways

forward 

through design, strategy, and innovation leadership.

I remember very clearly when I realized the impact of design.

My classmates and I had an assignment to ideate and create for a marginalized group. We designed a “listener” with Deaf people that would tell them when to enter a conversation. The relief I saw when they saw their challenged addressed made me want to do this forever.

Since then, I have relentlessly studied the craft of Design to the full and sought to use these skills in service to making people’s lives better: problem solving, co-creation, user research, visual design, content strategy– and now I use all of that to inform my current work in strategy design, design leadership, and innovation.

READING
LISTENING
PLAYING
WORK
PRODUCT DESIGN

Designed a companion app for Greek student leaders that resulted in having more accurate data about Greek InterVarsity impact.

STRATEGY DESIGN

Taking a website design request and turning it into an opportunity to put strategy design into action

MEETING DESIGN

Planned and facilitated a 2-day in-person off-site for the EveryCampus Steering Committee and Operational Partners that resulted in 3 concepts being developed.

STRATEGY DESIGN

Co-lead the program team to create a time-zoned, intimate, virtual conference with the innovative Mighty Networks platform for 2,000 participants– a 400% increase from the last conference.

WRITING

A professional fable about a team finding its way forward integrating user-centered design, agile methodology, and cross-functional collaboration.

What can lemonade and mountain dew teach us about problem solving and client engagement?

Expand the imagination during ideation and help everyone bring their best ideas so you don’t miss out on a stroke of brilliance.

There’s tons of resources about how to get the internship– but I find students are underprepared for the days after that. Learn from a hiring manager how to make the most of your internship.

Going remote is easier than ever, and yet remote employees still face challenges that supervisors will have to address. Read the Remote Supervisor’s Handbook to make sure your remote staff are as successful as in-person staff.

I find junior-created designs often have to be totally reworked not because they were bad designers, but they didn’t know the data that undergirds their design. Read this short primer about databases to design with the data you have.

LEARNING • COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING • TEAM LEADERSHIP • DIAGRAMMING • DISCIPLINE BUILDING • UX DESIGN • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
SKILLS
VALUES

Creativity

There is a spark in creativity in everyone - in fact I call myself a learned creative. I did not grow up doodling in the corner of my notebook, but I have studied the craft of creativity and believe my job is to bring out the creative living in you.

Collaboration

Each of my best projects have fingerprints from others on it - I may have good ideas, but you do too, and my job is to bring together the best pieces that everyone has to bring and to synthesize them into something great.

Critical Thinking

It's fun to dream wide and big, but I'm a realist at heart. It's important to me that our end goal is feasible, and well-thought through.

Clarity

At the end of the day, the real purpose of design is to create clarity: a clear problem with a clear solution. It's important to me that we have great communication so that you always know what's expected and what's next.

CERTIFICATIONS

Human-Centered Strategy

Design Thinking

Creativity & Leadership

EDUCATION

B.S. Computer Science – Digital Media; Systems

A unique degree that provided a solid foundation in computer programming, visual communication, and systems analysis.

Awards

  • Outstanding Systems Graduate

  • Special Recognition for Projects and Excellent Academics

Taylor University shield

Taylor University

“She has worked to raise the overall design literacy by regular lunch and learns, bringing more inexperienced co-workers along, and by her willingness to lead project teams.”

Pete Juvinall | Director IT Business Services – Molina Healthcare

Alan Ritari | CEO – Agathon

“She ran a damn fine workshop. Good content, pace, confidence, and great insights.

“Ashley is exceptional at developing others professionally, providing high quality design and strategy expertise to a multitude of projects, and is a pleasure to work with.

Jennifer Hollingsworth | Executive Director, InterVarsity

I watched her bring a radical user experience vantage point to our team and to myself. She is helping teams stay in sync in a way that we need, and that more teams across the organization need.

Maureen Huang | National Director of Creative Labs, InterVarsity