User Experience Lead

NICOLE D’ANDREA

HAMILTON NJ – 609-***-**** – ******@**************.***

PROFESSIONAL CAREER SNAPSHOT

Strategic UX Leader with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams to design innovative, accessible, and user-centered solutions. Adept at driving organizational change through data-driven insights, fostering collaboration, and delivering measurable results. Skilled in UX research, problem-solving, and design strategy to create impactful user experiences.

PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES

Direct Communicator, Confident, Design Thinker, Transparent, Honest, Passionate, Empathetic, Resilient, Accountable, Adaptable, Inquisitive, Logical, Visionary, Team Focused; Open-minded, Positive, Supportive, Driven, Kind UIUX LEADERSHIP AREAS OF FOCUS

If given the opportunity, I would like to focus on the points listed below. Although it's not customary, I included this section to tailor my resume specifically for a leadership role in User Experience Design and to demonstrate my enthusiasm for making a positive impact in the field. As a leader in my field, I believe that investing in my team members, as well as the end-user, will improve the effectiveness of my leadership style, boost team morale, increase team participation and innovation, ultimately leading to project success and creating a happy and healthy working environment.

ARTCULATING DESIGNS WITH FEEDBACK A critical aspect of being a UX/UI Designer is confidently explaining to stakeholders and end-users how you arrived at your deliverables, while gracefully receiving and addressing constructive feedback. For designers working within large teams, opportunities to present designs and receive unfiltered opinions from end-users may be limited. Yet, feedback remains the single most important factor for achieving success in UI/UX design. Without it, the path to improvement becomes challenging. To address this, my approach would involve implementing frequent design challenges. Depending on workload, project type, team capacity, or specific skill development needs, I might assign challenges to individual designers, small groups, or the entire team. Regular exposure to presenting designs builds confidence and helps designers effectively communicate their intent. This practice also ensures that storytelling—a vital component of UX—is woven into every presentation, minimizing the risk of misinterpretation and fostering alignment between design vision and user needs.

CAMARADERIE & IN-HOUSE ENGAGEMENT While rewarding, UI/UX design can be stressful due to fast-paced environments and complex teamwork. Conflicting priorities, communication breakdowns, and tight deadlines can lead to friction between designers and other teams, and an open-door feedback policy might not always result in constructive input. To tackle these challenges, it’s crucial to create a supportive environment where every designer feels valued. Holding weekly one-on-one meetings provides designers with a private space to express their concerns, discuss career aspirations, and address work assignments, allowing for the recognition of their unique strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, encouraging in-house days, when possible, for team-building activities and collaborative workshops fosters a sense of unity and sparks creativity, ultimately leading to a more robust team dynamic. By emphasizing individual appreciation and team support, we can alleviate stress and improve project outcomes in the ever-evolving landscape of UI/UX design. NICOLE D’ANDREA

HAMILTON NJ – 609-***-**** – ******@**************.*** PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Dynamic UX leader passionate about fostering innovation through collaboration, empathy, effective communication, and mutual respect. I have extensive experience in driving user-centered design solutions, managing cross-functional teams, and implementing multiple enterprise applications simultaneously. I possess proven expertise in UX research, problem-solving, and accessibility, with a strong track record of leading enterprise-level projects that deliver measurable results. I excel in fostering collaboration, streamlining workflows, and mentoring teams to achieve organizational goals. I am committed to creating intuitive, inclusive, and impactful designs that align with user needs and business objectives. MY SKILLS

LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT - Team Leadership, Project Management, Cross-functional Collaboration, Design Sprints, Agile Methodology, Performance Evaluation; Enterprise Applications; UIUX RESEARCH & STRATEGY – Strategic Design Thinking, Creative Ideation, User Research (interviews, surveys, competitive analysis) Usability Testing (A/B Testing, Heuristic Evaluation, Cognitive Walkthroughs), Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis, Data-driven Design, WCAG Guidelines, UX Content Strategy, Personas Development, Information Architecture, Strategy Development; DESIGN & TECHNICAL EXPERTISE – Wireframing/Prototyping, UI Design & Branding, Responsive & Mobile Design, Style Guides & Design Systems, CSS, HTML, Technical Documentation & Writing, Enterprise Application UI Design, Pega Design System, Design Justification;

DESIGN TOOLS & SOFTWARE - Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Sketch, Miro, Office 365, JAWS & NVDA for Testing Screen-Readers, WCAG Guidelines, SharePoint, WordPress, Dreamweaver, INDUSTRY & SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE – Accessibility Design, Real Estate & Social Media Marketing, Cognitive & Behavioral Principles, Graphic Design, Content Strategy, UX Career Mentoring CAREER EXPERIENCE

UIUX SUPERVISOR 4 - ENTERPRISE UIUX DESIGN TEAM

NJ JUDICIARY – TRENTON NJ USA - 2022 TO 2024

• Led a team of 8–15 UX designers, fostering open communication, collaboration, and mutual respect, which enhanced team performance. Year after year, the team consistently broke records for the number of high-fidelity prototypes completed and approved

• Implemented a new workflow process mid-project, resulting in a measurable improvement in design delivery timelines by streamlining workflows and balancing workloads.

• Conducted user research and testing to inform design decisions, significantly improving user satisfaction and usability for court system applications

• Spearheaded the creation of a WCAG-compliant design library, reducing accessibility-related issues by 40% and improving user-friendliness across court system applications

• Facilitated design sprints and workshops with stakeholders, designers, developers, and business analysts, aligning design solutions with business objectives and user needs to drive efficient decision- making and innovation.

• Led cross-functional collaboration with project managers, developers, analysts, and legal teams to ensure compliance, feasibility, and seamless execution of UX strategies for enterprise applications.

• Mentored and coached junior and senior designers, fostering skill development and career growth while maintaining high-quality design standards across the team.

• Designed and enhanced enterprise-level applications for the NJ Judiciary system, improving workflows across criminal, civil, municipal, probation, and family court applications.

• Created technical documentation and design specifications, streamlining communication between designers and developers for a more efficient handoff process.

• Optimized UX workflows, reducing design turnaround time and improving sprint efficiency by implementing best practices in design documentation and user testing.

• Advocated for UX best practices within the organization, influencing leadership to prioritize user- centered design in enterprise-wide initiative.

• Effectively delegated design tasks based on team members' skill sets and workload capacity, ensuring balanced assignments and optimal productivity. Managed administrative responsibilities, including timesheet approvals, leave requests, and performance evaluations, to maintain team efficiency and compliance with organizational policies.

• Advocated for design decisions by presenting data-driven justifications to upper management and project managers, effectively resolving conflicts, securing stakeholder buy-in, and ensuring alignment between business objectives and user needs.

UIUX TEAM LEAD DESIGNER - ENTERPRISE UIUX DESIGN TEAM NJ JUDICIARY – TRENTON NJ USA - 2017 TO 2022

• Established the NJ Judiciary’s first UIUX design team, recruiting, mentoring, and coaching team members to achieve departmental goals. My team trained over 100 BAs and stakeholders in Adobe XD and helped them understand UIUX and intent-driven design. The team reduced development time by reducing time spent on questions by creating intuitive user-friendly prototypes to support the user stories.

• Created the first design system using data-driven decisions, analytics, UIUX best practices, WCAG Guidelines and Pega guardrails that improved design consistency across 30+ applications.

• Led the team in conducting usability testing and analyzing results, resulting in actionable insights that drove improvements in user workflows.

• Partnered with stakeholders to resolve design bottlenecks, improving overall project delivery efficiency by 25%.

• Assigned design projects according to individual strengths and workload, fostering a balanced and efficient team dynamic. Oversaw administrative duties such as approving timesheets and coordinating leave requests to ensure seamless team operations. FRONT-END DEVELOPER - ENTERPRISE UIUX DESIGN TEAM

NJ JUDICIARY - TRENTON, NJ, USA - 1995 TO 2017

• Co-developed the NJ Judiciary’s first intranet, improving internal communication between thousands of Court employees statewide by providing a faster way for employees to get personnel forms and other time-sensitive information.

• Designed and developed ADA-compliant websites and enhanced our design system to be accessible, ensuring WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 compliance for diverse user groups.

• Created responsive, user-friendly court applications.

• Optimized website performance by implementing SEO best practices, accessibility, and page speed improvements, reducing load times.

• Conducted cross-browser testing & debugging to ensure seamless experience across devices and platforms.

OWNER- EMPOWERUX SOLUTIONS THRU DESIGN, TECH CONSULTING, AND MENTORING D’ANDREA DESIGNS – HAMILTON NJ USA – 2004 TO PRESENT

• Provides UX mentorship, tech consulting, graphic design, marketing, and content creation.

• Manages Enterprise Office 365 accounts for realtors, ensuring seamless operations and productivity.

• Offers tech consulting and IT support, assisting businesses in workflow automation, software implementation, and enterprise Office 365 account management to optimize productivity.

• Develops branding and marketing strategies, including graphic design, brand identity creation, content strategy, and website development to enhance client digital presence.

• Oversees client acquisition and retention, building strong relationships that drive repeat business and long-term collaborations.

• Manages business operations, including budgeting, financial planning, and administrative processes, ensuring sustainable growth and profitability.

• Executes targeted marketing campaigns, leveraging SEO, social media, and content marketing to attract new clients and expand brand reach.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

HTML/CSS WEB DEVELOPMENT

Mercer County Community College, West Windsor NJ USA – 6 months program - Certificate ON-THE-JOB UIUX DESIGN MENTORSHIP FOR PEGA

On-site/hands-on Pega UIUX Premiere consultant, Trenton NJ USA – 1 year program - Certificate USER INTERFACE DESIGN

Google UX Design Professional, Virtual - Certificate KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Led the implementation of an enterprise-wide WCAG-compliant design library, improving accessibility for over 2 million users.

• Reduced project timelines by 20% through the creation of streamlined design workflows and cross- departmental collaboration.

• Conducted usability testing with 100+ participants, identifying key pain points that informed product redesigns, increasing user satisfaction scores by 30%.

• Founded and led the NJ Judiciary’s first UIUX design team, building the department from the ground up, recruiting and mentoring 8–15 UX designers, and establishing UX best practices and standards at the enterprise level.

• Created the first NJ Judiciary enterprise-wide design system, ensuring consistency across 30+ applications and reducing design and development time through reusable components, Pega templates, and standardized guidelines.

• Co-founded and built the NJ Judiciary’s first internal communication portal, volunteering lunch breaks to develop and launch the platform, which streamlined organization-wide messaging across all courthouses statewide.

• I managed NJCourts.gov, the award-winning public-facing website for the NJ Judiciary, recognized as the best state court website for several consecutive years by the National Center for State Courts

(NCSC).

• Currently, I mentor and coach aspiring UI/UX designers through CourseCareers.com and LinkedIn, guiding them toward successful roles in the industry.

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