Designer and Writer
I'm a design and product leader with 20+ years building digital products that matter—at Mozilla, Webflow, Lattice, and now Medium, where we make tools to support writers. I care about the teams doing the work as much as the work itself.
About
I've led design and cross-functional teams at startups, non-profits, and for embedded teams, often starting brand, research, and content design functions. I enjoy building teams, but my favorite thing is coaching and mentoring ICs and managers to the next levels of their ambition.
I'm passionate about mission-driven initiatives—whether enabling creative culture, driving environmental advocacy, or designing humane digital products. My background as a design studio founder gives me a tremendous respect for building a business from the ground up.
My hunger for impact has driven me to solve problems at scale. Give me a problem to chew on, especially one that is innately human and complicated, put me in alongside compassionate and talented people, and I'm deeply excited to dig in.
I have spent the last decade building high-performing teams with clear vision, strong ownership culture, and a relentless commitment to craft. I know it is often the final 10% that matters. I focus first on being a great manager which allows the talent on my teams to fully flourish.
My design writing has been published around the internet. Often as a result I've been invited to speak at events like An Event Apart (Denver & D.C.), Smashing Conf (NYC), HOW Interactive Design Conference (Chicago), North by Northeast (Toronto), and the upcoming Design Matters (Tokyo).
My poetry and fiction have appeared in a wide variety of literary journals and anthologies, with nominations for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories, and the Nina Riggs Poetry awards. I'm currently working on my first poetry book, Letters to Dead People.
Writing
I write about design leadership, the creative process, building inclusive and effective organizations, and what it means to do good work. My essays have appeared in A List Apart, Offscreen, .net Magazine, and elsewhere. Sometimes I'm invited to speak at conferences around the world. While I took a break from this when my kids were young, these days I quickly pack a bag—there is so much for me to learn from travel.
I also write creative fiction and poetry—work that lives in literary journals and books—because I believe that being a real live human experiencing the world makes me a better creative person, whatever I'm doing. I have always loved communication and creative expression—the craft of it, the bravery, and sometimes its foolishness. The combination of words and pictures is ultimately where I live.
Get in touch
If you want to work together on something (a project, speaking or writing engagement, or a hard problem to think through together)—don't hesitate to reach out, I'd love to hear from you.
hello@cassiemcdaniel.com