About Me

I lead UX and product design through systems, tooling, operating cadence, and teams that can ship consistently.

My focus is the end-user journey — customer, member, and associate — and the design organization required to improve it at every touchpoint. I have built and managed teams, stood up Design Operations from zero, and implemented cross-platform design systems and the technical frameworks around them.

How I lead

At Home Depot, Design Ops, a component library, and a home for brand standards did not exist when I stepped in. I built the function, the team, and the adoption path in parallel with product, engineering, marketing, and creative.

I grow teams against business outcomes. Expanding from 2 to 8 direct reports followed evidence that better systems reduced cost and increased throughput.

At Gap Inc., I oversaw Headless UI and Design Systems. My core competencies include design systems, web design, user experience design, design operations, leadership, strategy, innovation, collaboration, and creativity.

In my previous role as a UX Manager at The Home Depot, I led and supported a team of UX designers and developers who created and implemented user-centric solutions for the company’s online platforms and applications. I delivered projects that enhanced the customer experience, reduced workforce time, and increased user retention. I also contributed to the creation, adoption, and maintenance of Stencil, Home Depot’s design system. My mission is to drive customer-centered innovation and improve the end-user journey at every touchpoint.

Success metrics

• Developed the foundational processes of the Enterprise UX Team as it grew from 13 designers to well over 300, including onboarding, reusable prototype libraries, and a design critique process.
• Grew my own team 400%, from 2 to 8 direct reports, by proving the cost-saving benefits of better efficiencies for the online organization.
• Led development and implementation of a responsive, scalable design system for customer-facing online properties, correlating with a 35% increase in customer sales tickets and a 15% increase in speed to market for design and development.
• Developed a Figma governance strategy — case studies, research, and organizational structure — that made Figma the company’s design tool.
• Managed licensing, training, procurement, security reviews, documentation, socialization, tactical planning, and ongoing tool evaluations, while maintaining vendor relationships.
• Led the upgraded multi-million-dollar self-checkout solution, now in use in stores nationwide.
• Simplified Home Depot receiving on mobile, reducing workforce time enough to translate into more than $1.3 million in first-year savings.
• Led a global training and gamification app for Home Depot associates to support on-the-job training.

Experience

Earlier: UX Designer/Developer at LocumTenens (Jackson Healthcare); Sr. Interaction Designer at Cox Media Group.

Education

I attended both Salem State and UMass Dartmouth with a concentration in Fine Arts. After moving to Florida, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from University of Phoenix. With over 15 years’ experience creating and conceptualizing all aspects of media, I’m an award-winning artist, graphic designer, illustrator, UX designer, and developer.

Awards

• 2016 — Top 20 finalist, BBC America poster contest
• 2015 — Featured artwork in IDW’s Orphan Black comic
• 2009 — SpiceWorks poster contest grand prize

What colleagues say

Denise has the unique ability to create order and logic without a playbook to follow. When she joined as Design Operations Manager, we had never had that role. We did not have a Design System, a component library, a place that housed brand standards and guidelines. Denise did not shrink from this enormous challenge. She builds teams from scratch, meets deadlines, and exceeds expectations.

Janna Hill, Senior Manager of User Experience, The Home Depot

Denise communicates with transparency, advocates for her team, and has an attention to detail. I especially appreciate her willingness to tackle large, complex opportunities. She identifies the resources, processes, and tools required for success. She is a strong manager who would be an asset to any organization looking to take their UX practice to the next level.

J. Swirsky, Sr. Product Manager, Stencil design system, The Home Depot

She is hands down the easiest person to drop into an existing product team and get results. She understands how to separate design critique from personal critique. That is a huge asset to a team with constantly emerging priorities.

Rachel Modugno, Software Engineering Sr. Manager, The Home Depot