# Shasta M. > Strategic Narrative & Experience Consultant | UX Strategy + Content Design | Helping organizations design clear, trusted systems in the AI era Location: Mill Valley, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/shasta 👉 I specialize in clarifying complex systems—aligning product, content, and experience so people understand and trust what they’re engaging with. I work at the intersection of strategy, narrative, and experience design. Most teams I work with aren’t lacking ideas—they’re struggling with clarity. Something feels off in their product, their messaging, or how it all connects, and it’s preventing people from fully understanding or trusting what they offer. That’s where I come in. I help organizations: • clarify what they actually are • align product, content, and user experience • design systems that feel coherent, credible, and usable My background spans UX strategy, content design, and systems thinking, with a focus on translating complex ideas into clear, human-centered experiences. Recently, I’ve been especially interested in how AI is changing trust, authorship, and authority online—what makes something feel real, primary, and reliable in a landscape of generated content. This has led me to explore what I think of as authority-driven design—creating digital systems that are not only usable, but grounded, legible, and meaningful. I work with mission-driven organizations, evolving platforms, and teams who know there’s something important in what they’re building—but need help bringing it into clear form. ## Work Experience ### Strategic Narrative & Experience Consultant @ shastamcbride.com Jan 2023 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Partner with organizations undergoing growth, redefinition, or complexity to clarify what they are, align their systems, and design experiences people can understand and trust. Lead end-to-end strategy across product, content, and experience—bridging UX, narrative, and business intent to create coherent, high-impact digital systems. Core work includes: • Diagnosing misalignment across product, messaging, and user experience—and translating it into clear, actionable direction • Defining core narrative, positioning, and information architecture for complex or evolving platforms • Designing end-to-end user experiences (flows, navigation, systems) grounded in clarity and usability • Developing voice, tone, and content systems that scale across products and teams • Facilitating stakeholder alignment through workshops, synthesis, and strategic frameworks Selected impact: • Led UX and product strategy for a scholar’s digital library, designing 50+ wireframes and a system of library-specific components for complex knowledge navigation • Developed AI-integrated concepts (library bot, generative media workflows) to explore new models of access and interaction • Delivered high-impact website and platform redesigns that improved clarity, engagement, and conversion • Conducted user research, stakeholder interviews, and moderated testing to validate and refine direction Focus areas: UX Strategy · Narrative Systems · Information Architecture · Product Thinking · Authority-Driven Design (AI Era) ### Senior UX Designer @ Agency UX Jan 2024 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area Led UX strategy and experience design for a multi-audience academic website, translating complex institutional needs into a clear, navigable digital experience. • Conducted discovery and research to uncover audience needs, structural gaps, and content misalignment • Defined site architecture, navigation systems, and content hierarchy for multiple user groups • Translated research insights into strategic wireframes and experience flows • Partnered with stakeholders to align on direction through presentations, iteration, and design thinking frameworks • Balanced institutional complexity with clarity, usability, and accessibility ### UX/UI Designer @ ROI·DNA Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area Led UX research, strategy, and experience design for B2B digital platforms, helping translate complex marketing and product ecosystems into clear, conversion-focused user experiences. • Conducted user research, competitive analysis, and audits to identify experience gaps and opportunities • Developed user journeys, information architecture, and content structures for high-growth B2B clients • Designed wireframes, interaction models, and scalable component systems across multiple platforms • Delivered 50+ client presentations translating research and UX insights into clear strategic direction • Collaborated cross-functionally to align UX decisions with business goals, marketing strategy, and technical constraints Selected clients: Blankfactor, Conversica, Ontra, Demandbase, Drift, Lightstep, ModelN, and others ### UX Designer @ www.shastamcbride.com Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco Bay Area Delivered end-to-end UX, content, and product design for a range of digital platforms, with a focus on clarity, usability, and structured decision-making. • Developed a comprehensive UX evaluation framework (391-point scorecard) to assess usability, content clarity, and experience maturity • Conducted heuristic evaluations, SEO/SEM analysis, and competitive benchmarking to inform strategic direction • Designed user flows, site maps, and wireframes grounded in information architecture and cognitive clarity • Integrated UX writing and content design principles to reduce friction and improve comprehension • Applied design thinking and research methodologies to guide product direction and next-step decision-making ### Senior Content Marketing Manager @ www.shastamcbride.com Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco, CA Led content strategy and digital marketing initiatives, bridging user research, messaging, and experience design to drive engagement and growth. • Developed end-to-end content and funnel strategies across web, email, and social platforms • Conducted user research and competitive analysis to inform messaging and positioning • Designed and optimized websites, landing pages, and conversion flows • Created and directed content systems including brand voice, visual storytelling, and campaign narratives • Managed email marketing strategy, social media campaigns, and performance-driven optimization (SEO/SEM) ### Senior Content Marketing Manager (FinTech) @ TWP Financial Jan 2014 – Jan 2018 | Beverly Hills, California, United States Financial company, dealing in financial planning and insurance (health / life), with 1300+ active clients. - 10% Increased new user y/y conversion rate: Streamlined company marketing strategy and message delivery strategy and system. - 20% Increased user engagement: Created an online branding strategy for the company website that allowed the company to be perceived on-par with their competitors. Delivered key, value-add, content via monthly newsletters addressing primary user questions and needs. ### Executive Assistant (FinTech) @ McBride Structured Financial Settlements Jan 2006 – Jan 2014 | Kauai County, Hawaii, United States Structured settlement firm providing financial planning services to plaintiff attorneys’ clients. - 4 hours to <1 minute workflow streamline: Created both the physical and online file system structure to efficiently manage and locate Client’s data. - VIP Customer Management: Ensured continued customer engagement and loyalty of a 300 client base ### Online Media Manager (Luxury Home) @ B Street Media Jan 2004 – Jan 2006 | San Rafael, CA Media buying agency, who’s main focus is luxury home goods, and expanding into luxury kitchen & bedding. (Main clients: Duxiana, Gourmet Depot) - 700% increase in sales ($100k/mo): Created a targeted marketing strategy in Google Adwords optimizing SEM for the company brand and offerings. - 50% Increase in sales ($50,000/mo): Created an advertising strategy via website coupon to lower price point items to increase store visits, resulting in increase sales ## Education ### UX Certified in UX Design Nielsen Norman Group ### UX Design IxDF - The Interaction Design Foundation ### UX Writing Fundamentals UX Content Collective ### Creative Writing UCLA Extension ### Bachelor's degree in English Literature (British and Commonwealth) Lewis & Clark College ### Heuristic analysis frameworks for conversion optimization audits CXL ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shastamcbride - Portfolio: https://www.shastamcbride.com - Portfolio: https://www.shastamcbrideartist.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/shasta JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/shasta/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13