Hello! I'm glad you're here.
I'm Emma & this is a bit about me.

tl;dr
My design story is rooted in a lifelong curiosity about how people interact with the world around them. From studying psychology in college to working as a Case Planner, to managing a site that provided guidance on achieving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, to doing sales, I’ve always been driven by a desire to understand human behavior and create experiences that make a meaningful impact.
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As the founding designer at Abound, I built the marketplace from the ground up, designing every workflow and feature to support small businesses. This experience taught me to navigate ambiguity, balance user needs with business goals, and bring clarity to complexity. At Sprout Social, I’ve continued this journey, focusing on user-centered solutions that empower enterprises to manage customer relationships seamlessly.
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Design has become my way of connecting empathy with problem-solving, creativity with strategy. I’m passionate about crafting intuitive, impactful solutions that not only solve problems but inspire trust and delight in the people who use them.
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I see design as a blend of craft and strategy. I love diving into the details of a micro-interaction just as much as I enjoy zooming out to think about the bigger picture. Collaboration is at the heart of my process—I believe the best ideas come from a mix of perspectives and open conversations.
If you're curious about how I got into design, check out my full story below! Or you can check out my work here.
My Story
CHAPTER 1
The Formative Years
I've always loved a challenge. Growing up, I was constantly on the go—violin lessons, acting, gymnastics, swimming, horseback riding (it was the ’80s, so keeping kids busy from dawn till dusk was standard). Eventually, I focused on swimming. I wasn’t the biggest on the team, so I had to work twice as hard, but I loved it. Swimming might not seem like a team sport, but for me, the best part was the camaraderie—I always swam my fastest during relays.
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My swimming "career" wrapped up in 9th grade after a Junior Olympics meet when my coach scolded me for taking a competitor out for pasta the night before. The idea that I couldn't be fully myself—the one who wanted to befriend even my competition—just didn’t feel right.
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In high school, I found a new creative outlet in fashion. I’d scour thrift stores, tear clothes apart, and reimagine them into pieces my friends loved. While others saved up for high-end prom dresses, I took an oversized thrift find and transformed it into a fitted, Swarovski-bedazzled gown.
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There’s a special kind of satisfaction in taking something overlooked and making it something others want. I’ve always seen the potential in things, even when it’s hidden.
CHAPTER 2
The Case Planner Years
In college, I worked across a range of settings—at a youth detention center for young men, a hospital for children with HIV, and at a local high school where I counseled a small group of teens each month. After graduating with a degree in psychology, I applied to Case Planner positions and took on the most challenging role I was offered: working in a group home for young men, ages 18-21, with extraordinary needs in the foster care system.​
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The young men I worked with were understandably guarded, often overwhelmed by emotions they couldn’t fully express. Building trust took time, but they eventually saw me as someone they could count on. I believe it was because I genuinely listened and worked to understand what each of them needed. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, I met each person where they were and adapted my support to meet their unique needs.
CHAPTER 3
The Product Manager Years
In my third year as a Case Planner, I started working on a website in my free time aimed at providing women with the tools and information they needed for a healthy pregnancy. The site, called babyMed, was basic HTML with little structure at the time.
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Since I didn’t have personal experience with pregnancy, I spent hours reading blogs from women who were pregnant or trying to conceive, looking for their pain points and paying attention to the language they used. I also researched the top pregnancy sites and analyzed how they structured their content. Unknowingly, this was my first dive into UX research. I used those insights to refine and edit the content, always keeping the user in mind. When Google launched Panda, its first truly user-centered algorithm update, we saw significant growth. Pageviews skyrocketed, user numbers grew, and revenue improved—ultimately leading me to my first full-time role in the field.
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Six years later, when it was time for a new challenge, I joined a co-working space as one of their first executive hires.
CHAPTER 4
The Community Manager & Director of Sales Years
Like most roles at an early-stage startup, my position was fluid, and I jumped right in. I thrived on using people’s stories to shape the product and ensure it truly aligned with their needs. After a year, I transitioned into the Director of Sales role. But after a few months, I started feeling deflated. No longer in my 20s, I found myself doing some serious self-reflection. Was this where I wanted to be long-term? The answer was no. I missed tapping into my creative side, collaborating with a team to brainstorm new ideas, and the excitement of experimenting and seeing a project come to life.
CHAPTER 5
The Career Change to Product Design
I took a step back and reflected on my experiences—what excited me, what drained me, and where my strengths really stood out. I remembered an aptitude test I took after college, where I scored high in areas like idea generation, inductive reasoning, and design. I thought back to working with a design team on the babyMed redesign and how much I enjoyed the entire process. As I learned more about UX/UI, I got more and more energized by the field. So, I decided to dive in, enrolled in a bootcamp, and quickly realized this was the work I’d been missing—this is where I belong.
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The winding path that led me here has shaped me into a stronger designer. I wouldn’t change a thing. My background in psychology and my work experience give me a unique ability to anticipate user behavior. Growing a business from the ground up has taught me to always keep ROI in mind when designing. And my experience in sales allows me to empathize with users and understand their needs. Product design is where I was always meant to be, and I’m genuinely excited to be here!