Talk us through an average day in your role
As VP of product design, I work closely with my team of talented designers to deliver elegant, powerful products to our customers. A big part of my role is understanding the larger picture of design at Haivision and advocating for great design across our many teams of talented people. I’m constantly pushing to make our customer experience great.
On any given day, I could be meeting with users to understand their challenges, collaborating with my team to create design solutions, or coordinating with developers to ensure smooth implementation.
How did you get started in the media industry?
As a teenager, my High School had a top-tier television production class where I made weekly videos, doing everything from writing, shooting, and editing. I especially enjoyed inflicting my sense of humour on my classmates. My main interest was 3D animation, which was just starting to become accessible to local video production and schools. Toy Story had just come out, and that inspired me to pursue a degree in 3D animation.
After an early career making non-award-winning animated shorts, I eventually found my new passion by moving into broadcast design, working for production companies, TV stations, and cable networks. I became the Chuck Yeager of flying logos, contributing to promotions for major sporting events, the Oscars, the Grammys, Rodeo Houston – and even a few projects that didn’t involve trophies or the risk of being turned into a projectile by a one-ton angry bovine.
What training did you have before entering the industry?
I was mostly self-taught and started picking up freelance animation and video production jobs before I even finished high school. I continued working in the field throughout college, animating everything from WWII bombers to a rack of BBQ ribs. Earning a BFA in Computer Animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design helped make those skills official.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry?
Put simply, I enjoy creating things that look great. Throughout my career, I have worked in animation, print design, branding, digital magazines, web design, mobile apps, and product design and I have loved all of it. These days, what excites me most is being part of a product design team that blends aesthetics, interactivity, and strategy to solve real-world challenges.
What makes working at Haivision especially rewarding is our spirit of continuous innovation and customer-centric focus. That mindset drives everything we do, from early concept to final implementation. User experience is at the core of how Haivision develops products. A recent example is the redesigned UI for the Haivision Pro mobile video transmitter, which is part of our initiative to provide a consistent and enhanced user experience across our ecosystem of broadcast products.
With every new UI release, we aim to make our products easier to use and get new users up and running quickly, helping customers with multiple Haivision products benefit from a more seamless experience across our suite of solutions. Whether our customers are covering live sports, breaking news, or other live events, our focus on product design helps them work faster, more efficiently, and with greater confidence in the tools they rely on. Satisfied customers are always the goal, and their feedback is essential to driving meaningful improvements.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours?
You need to love the act of creation. In product design specifically, it helps to enjoy problem-solving, collaboration, and to have plenty of patience. It’s a team sport, and delivering great products requires balancing a lot of perspectives and priorities.
If you’re just getting started, there’s a plethora of resources online that will help you understand the philosophy and process behind product design. The tools are affordable and accessible, making it easy to dive in and see if it’s a good fit for you. A background in traditional design or front-end development is a big plus, along with having someone who’ll give you honest, constructive feedback.
The great thing about product design is that every development team or company needs it, whether they realise it or not.
