# Karen G. > User Experience Design Manager and Senior Product Designer Location: San Jose, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/kareng I work to understand the full context of my users’ challenges, from their daily tasks to their “north star” goals. Empathy is my superpower. My brain is wired to notice small details, down to an extra space, but also how things fit in the larger puzzle. I feel energized by a good working session with my team—extra boost if we share a laugh along the way. PROCESS TOOLS: Empathy, Design Thinking, communication & collaboration, relationship building, creativity, and passion for learning and teaching. SELECT SKILLS: Sketching, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Wireframing, Prototyping, Storyboarding, Information Architecture, Design Thinking SELECT SOFTWARE TOOLS: If I don't know it... I will learn it. ## Work Experience ### Design Manager, IBM Core Products, Data & AI @ IBM Jan 2023 – Present | United States ### Design Lead, IBM Cloud Pak for Data, IBM Data & AI @ IBM Jan 2019 – Jan 2023 | SVL Design lead for fundamental platform feature that enables connectivity to external data sources across the entire Cloud Pak suite of services including Watson Studio, Watson Knowledge Catalog and others. Finalist for the Ventana Digital Innovation Awards, Analytics category for IBM Cloud Pak for Data ### Lead UX Designer @ Cisco Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area UX / Interaction & Visual Designer on multiple Web / Cloud Network Applications • Lead designer on SD-WAN product team, responsible for several product feature areas. • Drove workshops to lead senior stakeholders and large product technical teams through strategy, simplification efforts, and future enhancement opportunities. • Designed early concepts through pixel-perfect mockups and prototypes for large and complex features, simplifying interactions and providing supportive workflows. • Engaged in user research and facilitation of Design Thinking workshops with stakeholder teams and staff for various product features, strategy planning, and collaboration/design processes. • Led the feature design for platform functions like search (global & local), network topology and mapping. Key contributor on the design of global notifications for Cisco DNA-C. Two features submitted to patent review process. ### Lead Experience Designer / Visual Designer @ Skyport Systems Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco Bay Area ACQUIRED BY CISCO FEBRUARY 2018 • Led this startup’s user experience and visual design efforts on new and existing feature stories as their sole designer. • Simplified existing designs, defined patterns, and identified areas for improved usability following a heuristic evaluation of the existing product. • Initiated the design and development of a new visual and pattern style guide including new data visualizations. • Provided comprehensive user flows, complete wireframes, high resolution mocks and assets, and provided QA review of implementations prior to release. ### Freelance Consultant @ GRAFIKRS Jan 2009 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco Bay Area • Improved brand recognition and messaging for both an animal rescue and a dis-advantaged child non-profit, thereby increasing donor support and pet adoptions through new design strategies, simplified information architecture, thoughtful user experience and visual designs on websites and various marketing collateral. • Designed end-to-end and managed the campaign website and marketing collateral for three, successful, local political campaigns – including logos, advertisements, mailers, signage, large format graphics, and vehicle wraps. ### Interaction Designer (Consultant) @ Cisco Jan 2017 – Jan 2017 | San Francisco Bay Area • Support various products and stakeholders within the SSO division, both customer facing and partner facing on integrating new features and designs • Create workflows, user stories, flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups for two cloud based product offerings ### UX/Interaction Designer (Consultant) @ Symantec Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | Mountain View, CA • Supported the redesign and integration of two products into one simplified enterprise product offering that balanced business needs and customer benefits. • Developed workflows, user task analysis, interaction flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes. • Contributed to and applied new interaction patterns and visual design guidelines for a consistent, simplified, and cohesive experience. ### UX/UI Designer @ Wells Fargo Innovation Group for Optima Global Solutions Jan 2016 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco Bay Area • Strategized with various stakeholders and development teams on Proof of Concept (POC) internal applications and consumer-facing products—both for web and mobile platforms. • Defined user flows to low and high-resolution wireframes, visual assets, as well as interactive prototypes. • Collaborated with business analysts, product managers and development team to QA final product before Early Field Trial (EFT). ### UX Designer @ NavisHealth Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | Santa Clara, CA • Co-designed a workflow automation tool and admin features for a patient management web application, as well as the companion mobile apps (iOS and Android) for patients and caregivers for this healthcare startup. • Conducted the full design process from competitive and comparative research, through user testing of completed mockups. ### Marketing Specialist & Graphic Designer @ Gensler Jan 2010 – Jan 2015 | San Jose, CA Provide graphic and marketing support for the San Jose Gensler office. Skills include: Marketing strategy, client research, content strategy, visual design, layout, project management, coordination, documentation, communication, and presentation. ### User Experience Design Immersive Student @ General Assembly Jan 2015 – Jan 2015 | San Francisco A 10 week immersive program that teaches the fundamental theories, techniques, and tools of user experience design. The program is taught by top UX practitioners and is designed to provide students with real world experience through a variety of client facing projects. PEEKAPAK CHILD EDUCATION PLATFORM | UX Design & Gamification 2.5 week, 3-person design team, Client Project. Conceptualized and designed a child facing platform utilizing existing stories & content for the expansion of the Peekapak SEL Educational Program. Designed to be monetized for revenue generation. • Team conducted user interviews, stakeholder interviews, market research, competitive analysis, surveys. • Produced personas, affinity maps, storyboards, concept sketches, concept map, wireframes, and a Keynote prototype (for animation effects). • Developed gamified and interactive concept off existing content, identified & presented additional features that provide for further exploration and expansion. TREASURECHEST.COM | UX Design 2 week, Student Project. Designed the user experience for a new e-commerce website that remained true to the clients in-store brand and customer experience. • Conducted user interviews, stakeholder interviews, market research, competitive analysis, heuristic analysis, and card sorting. • Produced user flows, sketches, wireframes, and the functional prototype. MAPtransit MOBILE APP | UX Design 1 week, Student Project. Developed and designed the user experience for a graphical interface mobile app that provides real-time mapped locations of local transit options. • Conducted user interviews, market research, storyboards, scenarios, and competitive analysis. • Produced mind maps user flows, sketches, wireframes, mock-ups and the functional prototype. ### Marketing Manager @ Anderson Brule Architects Jan 2007 – Jan 2009 | San Jose, CA ### Marketing Coordinator @ Steinberg Architects Jan 2004 – Jan 2007 | San Jose, CA ### Marketing Coordinator & Graphic Designer @ Aimbridge Lending Solutions Jan 2002 – Jan 2004 | Englewood, CO ### Sr. Graphic Designer @ Moviola Jan 1999 – Jan 2001 | Hollywood, CA ### Sr. Visual Aids Artist @ Lockheed Martin Jan 1999 – Jan 1999 | Palmdale, CA ### Program Coordinator @ American Film Institute Jan 1996 – Jan 1998 | Hollywood, CA ## Education ### Certificate in User Experience General Assembly ### Certificate in Human Computer Interaction Stanford University ### Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Art/Art Studies, General Fort Lewis College ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kgonzo --- Source: https://flows.cv/kareng JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/kareng/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13