# Brian McGrath

> Design, Research & Strategy

Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/brianmcgrath

I am an experienced UX designer with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry. I have a proven ability to lead and manage teams, as well as work independently. I am an expert in all aspects of UX design, from research and strategy to prototyping and implementation. I have a strong track record of delivering high-quality user experiences that meet the needs of users and businesses.

## Work Experience
### Freelance, User Experience Design & Development @ Design Union
Jan 2012 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area
Consultancy work includes trend analysis, user analysis and design research for Samsung appliances and LG displays. Direct client work includes user experience design for Uber’s driver app, working on the iPad version of Google Maps and Google’s Merchant Center.

Over this period I also designed, developed and continually refine a Salon SaaS and e-commerce site. The SaaS features include the POS, appointment scheduling, inventory management, in-depth reporting and analytics. The SaaS and e-commerce site where developed using Parse Server / node.js.

### Founding Partner, User Interface Design & Design Research @ Solv
Jan 2007 – Jan 2011 | San Francisco Bay Area
Founded Solv, a small user interface design agency, to leverage opportunities with larger clients and startups. Work included development of implementable user interface design systems for Kodak, interface design and testing for next generation Polycom conference phones to exploratory experience concepts for Plantronics. 

Greatest achievement over the five-year span was our long- term client relationships, which enabled us to generate 80% of our revenue from 3 clients. Also, co-designed and developed mobile apps for kids under the Elias Smiles brand. Our EliasABC app was featured on iTunes, which enabled it to rise to number 1 in the Education category for several days.

### User Interface Design & Design Research @ Freelance Self-Employed
Jan 2005 – Jan 2007 | San Francisco Bay Area
The majority of projects I worked on were the UI design for web/enterprise applications, corporate web sites & corporate communication. This included secondary research, strategy development and requirements to guide the direction of the projects.

Additional projects included auditing, designing and prototyping unique DVR navigation concepts. Plus, the user experience audit and redesign of the signage and decals for ATMs. This work provided me with confidence to start my own design consultancy.

### Manager, Design Research & Studio Lead @ Samsung Design America
Jan 2004 – Jan 2005 | San Francisco Bay Area
Re-joined Samsung to focus on design research but ended up taking on a much more expanded role. Re-built the UI and research groups and took on the additional role of studio lead. Oversaw all projects and handled day-to-day studio oversight, including authoring studio and bonus policy.

Conducted multiple appliance and consumer electronic research and strategy programs for the North American market. Utilized focus groups, user-testing and formal/informal one-on-one interviews to develop ID and UI design strategies.

### Manager, User Interface Design @ QRS
Jan 2002 – Jan 2004
Working with the marketing team and business analysts developed a web-based EDI tracking tool. Using dhtml/xslt prototypes an interaction-rich UI experience was created based on a detailed user activity analysis that was validated through rapid iterations and user-testing.

Designed the visual system for new internet, intranet and extranet sites that extended the corporate design language. Also, worked on adding new features to the current product line of web-based applications using prototypes, wireframes and interaction flow diagrams.

### Assistant Manager, User Interface Design @ Samsung Design America
Jan 2001 – Jan 2002 | San Francisco Bay Area
Led the design development of DTV, DVD, Printer and appliance GUIs/PUIs for the North American market. Work included designing visual systems that maintained a consistent identity with Samsung’s visual strategy and developing extensible interface architecture systems.

Additional efforts included user research to gain an understanding of use issues with current systems, focus group evaluations of visual design concepts and qualitative user-test sessions. Teams included designers, strategists and engineers from both Korea and the US.

### Interaction Designer @ Method
Jan 2000 – Jan 2001 | San Francisco Bay Area
Primary focus was on information architecture and interaction design for web applications, corporate web sites & software. When opportunities arose I also contributed to the development of identities and visual design systems.

Projects ranged from an e-commerce website for an electronics parts supplier, an online content aggregator to the software for a one-button backup hard drive.

### User Interface Designer @ Kiwi Consulting
Jan 1999 – Jan 2000 | San Francisco Bay Area
Worked with designers and engineers to specify and develop a time-based multi-bidder supply application and the bid management application. It allowed suppliers to compete for contracts in real-time while allowing them and the buyer to see their place in the race to win the contract.

Collaborated on the visual and interaction design for e-commerce sites, including identity development.

### User Interface Designer @ Freelance Self-Employed
Jan 1999 – Jan 1999 | Greater Chicago Area
Co-authored with Maya Design Group a style guide meant as an extension to the Windows User-Interface Guidelines for the risk management group of a large insurance corporation. The style guide went a step further because it detailed how to consistently implement controls and layout screens.

Continued the development of the Fiserv, Inc. web-based application this included finishing the UI specification for a page building tool and a role-based administration application. Also, designed a prototype of Fiserv's second-generation on-line banking product while collaborating with the core developers to insure that the new design improved the product's organization and appearance, while increasing the branding customization options.

### Communication Designer @ MAYA, a BCG Company
Jan 1998 – Jan 1999 | Greater Pittsburgh Area
Project managed the development of the browser UI for a web-based financial data application. This included authoring project proposals, overseeing and co-authoring of the user-interface specification documents and the design of the visual/HTML implementation specification. 

Collaborated with designers and engineers on designing the user-interface for GTE’s web-based messaging concept for novice users. Allowed the users to quickly access their emails, voice messages and faxes. Other work included co-producing research documents on implementing a dynamic query control. The control allowed users to dynamically query and adjust the display of data within a frame using a dynamic bar-chart slider.


## Education
### Bachelor of Science - BS in Communication Design
Illinois Institute of Technology

### Engineering/Industrial Management
University of Illinois Chicago


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/brianmcgrath2
- Website: https://designunion.me/

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Source: https://flows.cv/brianmcgrath
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/brianmcgrath/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-05