Hi, I'm Brad. I help people build better digital products.
I've spent over two decades designing and leading teams for companies like Disney, The New York Times, Shopify, Volvo, and Fanatics. Start & Build is where I teach the frameworks I wish I'd had earlier—and the ones I use with teams today.
From client work to a home for purposeful builders.
I started my career as a designer and problem-solver, not a "design celebrity." Over the last 20+ years, I've led product design for Fortune 500 companies, founded and ran a 16-person UX studio, and shipped products across e‑commerce, media, B2B SaaS, and internal tooling.
Along the way, one pattern kept appearing: the teams that win are the ones who can pair strong design with a clear sense of purpose.
Start & Build is my way of teaching that combination—design craft, product thinking, and thoughtful use of AI—to anyone who wants to build better products, not just more products.
A quick snapshot of my work.
Director of Product Design at Fanatics
Leading design for major brands across the collectibles portfolio.
Former Principal/Senior Roles
The New York Times, Shopify, Volvo Group, and others.
Founder of Nine Labs
A UX practice that served Fortune 500 clients for a decade.
Author
Creative Truth: Start & Build a Profitable Design Business.
Conference Speaker
ConveyUX, Chicago Camps, General Assembly, and more.
Educator
Teaching design to engineers, founders, and teams who build.
What I believe about design, AI, and building.
Design is a core skill, not a job title.
Whether you write code, run a team, or know a problem deeply from the inside, you can learn to design. Good design is a way of thinking and deciding—not just a Figma file.
AI is a tool. Purpose is the driver.
AI can help you move 3× faster, but it can't tell you what's worth building. I teach you how to use AI as a junior designer, researcher, and builder—without outsourcing your judgment.
Small problems solved well matter.
You don't have to build the next unicorn. Fixing a frustrating workflow for a nurse, making an internal tool less painful, or helping a small business owner run smoother operations is real impact.
Where you might plug in.
Why this matters to me.
I've seen too many talented people stall out because nobody ever taught them design or gave them a clear path into building. I've also seen too many teams chase shiny AI features while ignoring the basics of usability and trust. Start & Build is my long-term project to fix that—one course, one article, one workshop, and one builder at a time.