Professional Summary

Skills

Experience

Soren Hamby

929-***-**** ad2l79@r.postjobfree.com Suffern, NY 10901 Soren is a design leader and accessibility operations specialist with 20 years of experience in web design, more than 10 years of background in user experience, and seven years of accessibility design experience. They have 5+ years of experience managing design teams, cultivating full end-to-end experiences by leveraging innovative design, UX, and product strategies. As team lead and discipline leader, they enable inclusive organizations and teams by promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA), driving inclusive products As an experienced freelancer, contractor in-house, full-time at B2B and B2C organizations, and consultant to NPOs, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies, clients include JPMorgan Chase, E*Trade, the Software Engineering Directorate at the Department of Defense, FinTech startups, InVision, MRM//McCann, Wunderman Thompson, Jack: an Inclusive Design Agency, Verizon, Square, Waymo, Nike, Bank of America, IPC, Insight Partners, Honeywell, and the United States Marine Corps. Besides building accessibility ops, design ops, and design systems from the ground up, working on B2B and B2C solutions, and managing a team of designers, Soren also is a leader in corporate responsibility and DEI.

• Thought Leadership • User Research • Product Strategy

• Accessibility Operations • Design Operations • Accessibility

• Inclusive Design Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508

• • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Senior User Experience (UX) & Digital Design Manager; Accessibility BO; DEI Advisory Board July 2021 - Current Benjamin Moore, Montvale, NJ

Manages UX team and Agile Release Train as Design Architect, owner of the Paragon Design system, accessibility discipline owner, and Diversity Advisory Board. Sources speakers, helped name and launch 5 BRGs, and helped form requirements for new HR policies and reporting.

Serves as the Business Owner and a subject matter expert for the Accessibility discipline. Enforced accessibility procedures and monitored compliance. Minimized potential legal risks on the design language team by ensuring WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.

•

Established and grew the UX team and Design Operations in-house, shifting a need for expensive outsourced design agencies. Scaled current benchmarking from sales and conversion to encompass usage and adoption goals by setting key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives/key results (OKRs) for accessibility and UX. Built a diverse and multicultural team with high retention rates and employee satisfaction. Performance reviews of direct reports and self by VP have all been high achieving.

•

Created internal design systems with style and usage guides for vendors, digital marketing/creative, and developers. Embedded an accessible color system. Organized training for new team members and routine retraining for established employees. Hired qualified employees using targeted strategies to reach candidates. Monitored employee work to assess performance and identify knowledge gaps. Led and influenced team, leveraging individual strengths to optimize productivity. Established working relationships with employees, management, and vendors. Improved operational execution through attention to detail and adherence to company standards and philosophies.

•

Developed strategies and plans for new product development including AI and ML products and AR technologies, defined roadmaps and managed products through product lifecycle. Informed product roadmap by incorporating information from

•

market research, consumer trends and customer specifications. Conversion rate is up .21% and time on page is up 25% year over year.

Lead Service Designer and Strategist April 2021 - December 2022 Jack Strategy, NYC, NY

Worked with clients Nike, Square, and Alphabet / Google on inclusive product design featuring accessibility and deep research. Created UX- and design-driven business strategy proposals and insights to inform product and development team. Mentored coworkers in accessibility and design ethics. Removed barriers that prevented people with disabilities from accessing organizational products and services by delivering accessibility consulting services.

•

Researched and translated customer requirements into workable features and designed tests to vet out usability. Informed product roadmap by incorporating information from market research, consumer trends and customer specifications.

•

• Identified, prioritized and pursued potentially profitable product lines with entrepreneurial approach. Helped clients avoid market decisions that would have cost more than $5 million. Based on our work, client Waymo was awarded a DoT (Department of Transportation) grant.

•

Lead Product Designer January 2021 - April 2021

Mission Lane, Remote

Lead Product Designer for Growth

Introduced accessibility by incorporating organization-wide accessibility strategy and integrating accessibility into designs. Enhanced data visualization patterns in the design system.

•

Contributed to Mission Lane Rebrand requirements for agency partners, design reviews, and final design selection. Supplied moldboards and inspiration. Created illustrations for onboarding new customers.

•

Grew the design team by 150% by recruiting pre-qualified candidates, aided in hiring designers by conducting screening calls, refining the hiring process, and working with candidates.

•

Adapted designs from acquired partners to fit new uses, collaborating effectively across disciplines. Planned and executed strategies to increase business and drive profit growth. Documented, researched and resolved customer experience issues.

•

Freelance Lead Product Designer for United States Marine Corps December 2020 - January 2021 Wunderman Thompson, Remote

UX, Inclusive Design and Accessibility Design Consultant for Insight Partners and Bank of September 2020 - December 2020 America

Creative Circle / Sullivan Partners, Remote

Product Marketing Manager, Design Advocate, Community March 2020 - August 2020 InVision Inc, Remote

Enhanced program operations with continuous development of policies and procedures. Determined feasibility of implementing design ideas based on function and serviceability.

•

Optimized design community program by incorporating feedback from marketing, safety and production departments. Positioned communities to scale potential markets (users) and increase user engagement while coordinating community design events and product workshops. Advised on community building, product development, and product accessibility.

•

Evolved company's diversity, inclusion, and accessibility program. Provided thought leadership via articles, events, and cross- functional collaboration. Led DEI initiatives to include more diverse design voices and to bring LGBTQIA / disability ERG/BRG groups to InVision

•

Freelance Senior Product Designer, Accessibility & Design Systems, Verizon November 2019 - February 2020 R/GA, NYC, NY

Freelance Senior UX Designer & Accessibility Specialist for ETrade April 2019 - October 2019 InRhythm, NYC, NY

Education

Volunteer

Freelance Senior UX Designer December 2018 - February 2019 MRM McCann, NYC, NY

Freelance Senior Interaction Designer for JPMC November 2017 - November 2018 Robert Half / the Creative Group, NYC, NY

Freelance Senior Product Designer for IPC June 2017 - October 2017 Robert Half / the Creative Group, NYC, NY

Senior UX Designer, Scrum Lead, & Interim Team Lead, DoD July 2015 - April 2017 Dynetics

Creative Director of Web and UX Design December 2013 - December 2015 Modern and Smart

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Design: Design and Web - University of Alabama at Huntsville, Huntsville, AL December 2013 Dean's List x 2, Cum Laude

Agile Certified Scrum Master: Agile - Scrum Alliance February 2016 Master of Arts (M.A.): Disability Studies - CUNY SPS, NYC, NY December 2024 UXC: UX Management - N/ng April 2021

Graduate Certificate: Diversity and Inclusion Leadership - Cornell University Certification: Accessibility Program Management - Deque University Fellowship: Design Leadership - On Deck / CoHo

Mentor Current

ADPList

Project Maintainer Current

A11y Project

Design Week Awards Judge 2021 and 2023

DesignWeek, London

Contact this candidate