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Experience Design Manager

OVERVIEW

As an Experience Design Manager for Visual Design, I led a multidisciplinary team responsible for the end-to-end visual expression of Madden’s UI. My work focused on elevating quality, strengthening collaboration, designing scalable systems, and fostering a balanced, highly motivated team culture. This role represented the moment I transitioned from being an individual contributor into a creative leader. I was now someone responsible not just for craft, but for people, processes, and the environments that help teams thrive.

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The Challenge

Madden’s UI spans dozens of modes, hundreds of screens, and an enormous live-service pipeline. The Visual Design team needed strong direction, alignment, and clarity to maintain a consistent visual identity while still innovating each year.

My challenges included:

  • Leading a growing team through constant product evolution

  • Breaking down silos between XD, UX, XDT, SE, and art partners

  • Defining standards, documentation, and scalable systems

  • Aligning with Brand, Marketing, Capture, Franchise, MUT, and Presentation

  • Supporting designers with workloads that changed daily

  • Navigating the shift toward more inclusive player experiences

  • Growing into people management, often while handling IC responsibilities

To succeed, I needed to build a team environment grounded in trust, autonomy, and clear expectations.

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My Role

I managed the Visual Design team within Experience Design, balancing creative direction with people leadership and operational clarity. I partnered across the studio to align on yearly vision, system updates, brand cohesion, and cross-team dependencies.

In practice, I:

  • Defined the visual identity of Madden’s UI each cycle

  • Led the creation and refinement of global components and design kits

  • Facilitated alignment with Brand and Art Direction partners

  • Guided designers through critique, feedback, and iteration

  • Built systems, documentation, and workflows to increase efficiency

  • Managed hiring, onboarding, coaching, and development

  • Advocated for accessibility and inclusive design practices

  • Strengthened cross-pod relationships to improve quality and delivery

Date

January 2018 - July 2022

Product

  • Madden NFL 20

  • Madden NFL 21

  • Madden NFL 22

  • Madden NFL 23

Platforms

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5,

Xbox One, Xbox S|X, PC

Skills

  • User interface Art

  • Visual Design

  • Branding

  • Logo Design

  • Design Systems

  • Styleguide Development

  • Workflow Optimization

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Downloadable Content Creation

WHAT I DID

Elevated Madden’s Visual Identity

One of my most impactful initiatives was leading the creation and evolution of Madden’s annual Visual ID. This involved defining the look and feel for the entire product—from typography and color palettes to global components and key screen layouts.

Highlights:

  • Created a full inventory of global components to support Shift Left planning

  • Rebuilt assets to standardize source files and remove legacy styling

  • Ran brainstorms, work sessions, and feedback loops to align the full XD team

  • Partnered closely with Brand to ensure cohesion across in-game and out-of-game assets

This brought clarity, predictability, and a stronger sense of identity across the entire game.

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Built and Nurtured a High-Performing Team

I focused heavily on creating an environment where designers felt supported, heard, and encouraged to take initiative. That meant:

  • Providing real-time actionable feedback

  • Setting clear expectations and goals

  • Developing growth plans tailored to each designer

  • Recognizing contributions publicly

  • Holding consistent 1:1s to build trust and share context

  • Empowering designers to lead aspects of the Vis ID and global components

My team evolved into a group that could balance autonomy with alignment—delivering consistent, thoughtful work even in fast or ambiguous moments.

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Strengthened Cross-Team Collaboration

A major turning point was establishing stronger communication with Brand, Marketing, Capture, and other partners. I set up recurring alignments that:

  • Reduced friction between teams

  • Improved how Visual IDs were understood and applied

  • Made it easier to track down assets and dependencies

  • Cut sourcing time from weeks to days (and sometimes hours)

  • Ensured everyone built from the same context and goals

This shift turned what used to be siloed efforts into a unified creative direction.

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Improved Systems & Efficiency

To support a fast-moving live service product and an annual release, I introduced and refined processes including:

  • A global component catalog

  • Documented style guides and best practices

  • Miro templates for wires and visual snapshots

  • File organization and naming standards

  • Process flows for collaboration between XD, UX, and XDT

These systems reduced rework, increased consistency, and gave designers more time to focus on quality.

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Grew Into Leadership With Depth and Empathy

This role marked a significant moment in my leadership journey. I learned how to navigate conflict, coach through complexity, and balance my instinct to jump into the work with the need to let others lead.

I developed strengths in:

  • Time optimization and strategic delegation

  • Clear, direct, but empathetic communication

  • Understanding team needs before making decisions

  • Providing recognition and support in real time

  • Advocating for player-first and inclusive design

I became someone designers could trust—someone who listened, guided, and celebrated them.

IMPACT

Product Impact

  • More cohesive and modern UI experience

  • Earlier completion of design kits and wires through Shift Left

  • Strong alignment with Brand for visual consistency

  • Cleaner, more scalable component library

  • Higher quality across key features and modes

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Team Impact

  • Increased autonomy and ownership

  • Stronger career growth pathways

  • Improved processes and templates that still support teams today

  • A collaborative, safe, and creatively energizing team culture

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Studio Impact

  • Reduced dependency friction across pods

  • Faster iteration and clearer alignment

  • Better communication loops with stakeholders

  • More inclusive and player-aware design decisions

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My Growth

This role was where I learned how to lead with empathy, clarity, and conviction. It shaped my belief that great teams don’t just produce great work—they grow through trust, shared purpose, and thoughtful creative decision-making.

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