Howdy, I’m Brent
A design leader helping organizations turn ambiguity into clear, human-centered digital services. I grow and lead high-performing design teams across time zones, aligning craft, strategy, and delivery.
I champion accessible and equitable experiences, guiding teams with empathy to design human-centered solutions that are thoughtful, considerate and work for everyone in mind.
What I do
How I lead
I lead by showing what's possible before I ask others to build it. Not because I have all the answers—I don't. But because the gap between "here's what we should do" and "here's what could actually work" is where teams learn, trust forms, and real progress happens.
My approach
Informed by decades of real-world problem-solving, my work has always been rooted in UX design, long before it became a formal discipline. I cut through ambiguity to deliver meaningful results—whether that's partnering with enterprise organizations, scrappy startups, or small businesses.
I specialize in bringing design strategy and systems connectedness out of the abstract and into practical reality. My neurodivergence gives me a particular way of seeing patterns, breaking silos, and translating complex system thinking into work that teams can actually execute. It's a strength I bring to every engagement.
How I work best
Front-load meetings, then focus. I work best when we converge early on project direction, then I have dedicated time for deep work and delivery.
Intermittent convergence. I like ad-hoc short check-ins throughout the week rather than standing meetings. That rhythm keeps us aligned without fragmenting focus.
Give me coffee, then momentum. I'm a night owl. Front-load your expectations in the morning (I need caffeine to warm up), and I'll deliver thoughtful, focused work.
Quiet space for deep work. When I'm focused—especially on writing, design, or systems thinking—I need quiet. I'm not antisocial; I'm just optimizing for the work itself.
What I bring
Clarity in ambiguity. I have a knack for untangling complex problems and communicating the path forward. Not simplifying too much—just making the actual problem visible.
Egoless design philosophy. My work is grounded in user research and rapid iteration. I value honesty over kindness. Direct constructive feedback helps me grow; I expect the same from my team.
Breaking silos. A lead engineer I've worked with put it this way: "Before Brent arrived, design handoffs often lacked context around design decisions. By involving engineers earlier in the design process, he encouraged valuable feedback, leading to more refined designs and fewer mid-sprint changes." I don't see design as separate from engineering or product—I see it as the connective tissue.
Design systems at scale. I've built systems from zero, scaled them across teams, and created contribution models that let teams extend without fragmenting. From semantic tokens to governance infrastructure, I approach complexity through systems thinking.
Optimization and velocity. I'm comfortable operating at scale—coordinating across 10+ teams, modernizing legacy enterprise services, shipping design in high-stakes federal environments. I know how to set up workflows and tools, so teams produce high volume without sacrificing quality.
What I Specialize In
I lead by showing what's possible before I ask others to build it. Not because I have all the answers—I don't. But because the gap between "here's what we should do" and "here's what could actually work" is where teams learn, trust forms, and real progress happens.
My approach
Informed by decades of real-world problem-solving, my work has always been rooted in UX design, long before it became a formal discipline. I cut through ambiguity to deliver meaningful results—whether that's partnering with enterprise organizations, scrappy startups, or small businesses.
I specialize in bringing design strategy and systems connectedness out of the abstract and into practical reality. My neurodivergence gives me a particular way of seeing patterns, breaking silos, and translating complex system thinking into work that teams can actually execute. It's a strength I bring to every engagement.
How I work best
Front-load meetings, then focus. I work best when we converge early on project direction, then I have dedicated time for deep work and delivery.
Intermittent convergence. I like ad-hoc short check-ins throughout the week rather than standing meetings. That rhythm keeps us aligned without fragmenting focus.
Give me coffee, then momentum. I'm a night owl. Front-load your expectations in the morning (I need caffeine to warm up), and I'll deliver thoughtful, focused work.
Quiet space for deep work. When I'm focused—especially on writing, design, or systems thinking—I need quiet. I'm not antisocial; I'm just optimizing for the work itself.
What I bring
Clarity in ambiguity. I have a knack for untangling complex problems and communicating the path forward. Not simplifying too much—just making the actual problem visible.
Egoless design philosophy. My work is grounded in user research and rapid iteration. I value honesty over kindness. Direct constructive feedback helps me grow; I expect the same from my team.
Breaking silos. A lead engineer I've worked with put it this way: "Before Brent arrived, design handoffs often lacked context around design decisions. By involving engineers earlier in the design process, he encouraged valuable feedback, leading to more refined designs and fewer mid-sprint changes." I don't see design as separate from engineering or product—I see it as the connective tissue.
Design systems at scale. I've built systems from zero, scaled them across teams, and created contribution models that let teams extend without fragmenting. From semantic tokens to governance infrastructure, I approach complexity through systems thinking.
Optimization and velocity. I'm comfortable operating at scale—coordinating across 10+ teams, modernizing legacy enterprise services, shipping design in high-stakes federal environments. I know how to set up workflows and tools, so teams produce high volume without sacrificing quality.
What I Specialize In
- Design ops and human capital development
- Product strategy and digital transformation
- Design systems (from 0-to-1 builds to enterprise scaling)
- Digital service modernization in government and enterprise
- Responsible AI integration into product workflows
- Scaled agile delivery across multidisciplinary teams
What I like to do outside of work
I enjoy traveling, drawing, making fancy coffee and spending time with my partner and our two little fur babies, Finnick and Fezzic. Also, Beekeeping, Fly Fishing, book publishing and organizing local meetup events for Spokane UX
- 153Designers mentored
- 14Countries traveled to and counting
- 7.6 TBPhotos taken
- 8 booksI'm also an indi book publisher
Feedback from people I've worked with
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Brent has significantly improved team collaboration and design quality. Before he joined, design handoffs often lacked context around design decisions. By involving engineers earlier in the design process, he has encouraged valuable feedback, leading to more refined designs and fewer mid-sprint changes.
“
Breeeeent! It was so lovely to work with you! You were such a warm, friendly presence in all of the meetings, and thanks for bringing the jams :) I am grateful for your patience, honesty, and positive attitude. I hope we get to work again in the future.
“
Having benefited from his leadership and coaching abilities firsthand, I can confidently say any organization would be fortunate to have Brent in a strategic leadership role where he can continue to shape both product vision and team development.
“
Brent, I really appreciate your contributions in establishing strong collaboration and communication across product, engineering, and design on the team! I was personally impressed by your ability to keep a cool, friendly demeanor and deliver high-quality work, even under pressure.
“
Our UX manager is in need of someone with a design systems background who is comfortable discussing CSS and HTML, and is also a good communicator.
I really enjoyed working with you and was hoping you could help us out.
I really enjoyed working with you and was hoping you could help us out.
“
We needed to create trust with the users using the CMS Design System, help the client understand the benefits of Design System use, and audit and create consistent components that focused on accessibility.
Brent was key in all these different challenges we faced. He is a natural at moderating workshops and communicating to clients which helped increase Design System adoption.
Brent was key in all these different challenges we faced. He is a natural at moderating workshops and communicating to clients which helped increase Design System adoption.
On my shelf
These are the books I'm reading right now, and they're shaping how I think about craft, leadership, and the genuine difficulty of building things that matter.
Feedback loops that help me
Direct constructive feedback. Tell me what's working and what isn't. Ambiguity doesn't help me grow.
Clearly state the type of feedback upfront. "I want your thoughts on the direction" is different from "I want you to rip this apart." Frame it, and I'll prepare accordingly.
Egoless craft. I'm not attached to my ideas. If the research says I'm wrong, I want to know. Honesty over kindness.
Open communication. The best teams I've been part of defaulted to transparency. That's the kind of culture I help build.
Why This Matters
The best teams I've been part of didn't succeed because of a brilliant leader making brilliant decisions from on high. They succeeded because everyone understood what we were optimizing for, had permission to challenge assumptions, and saw evidence that their thinking influenced the work. That trust compounds.
I want to work with teams that value craft, curiosity, directness, and people. If you do too, let's build something together.
Direct constructive feedback. Tell me what's working and what isn't. Ambiguity doesn't help me grow.
Clearly state the type of feedback upfront. "I want your thoughts on the direction" is different from "I want you to rip this apart." Frame it, and I'll prepare accordingly.
Egoless craft. I'm not attached to my ideas. If the research says I'm wrong, I want to know. Honesty over kindness.
Open communication. The best teams I've been part of defaulted to transparency. That's the kind of culture I help build.
Why This Matters
The best teams I've been part of didn't succeed because of a brilliant leader making brilliant decisions from on high. They succeeded because everyone understood what we were optimizing for, had permission to challenge assumptions, and saw evidence that their thinking influenced the work. That trust compounds.
I want to work with teams that value craft, curiosity, directness, and people. If you do too, let's build something together.
Who I’ve worked with
My work spans commercial and public-sector environments. These experiences sharpened my ability to design solutions for complex, ambiguous ecosystems. I collaborate with engineers, contribute to design systems, and adapt product design to diverse organizational cultures, technical constraints, and mission-driven outcomes.
Explore my delivery impact