Skipper Chong Warson

About

I’m an award-winning service/product designer, facilitator, and coach with 10+ years of experience creating human-centered solutions that drive business outcomes. I specialize in taking ideas from 0 to 1, aligning design with business goals, and fostering cross-functional collaboration. I've led teams through growth and acquisition phases, cultivating safe, inclusive environments while balancing hands-on execution with strategic vision. My focus is on designing impactful user experiences tied to measurable results. Since 2021, I’ve also hosted the *How This Works* podcast, exploring stories of innovation and success.

Experience

• Podcast Producer & Host · How This Works show11-01-2020

  Produced and hosted podcast episodes, engaging with guests and audiences to explore various topics and insights.

• Regional Design Director, Americas · SoftServe01-01-2021 – 07-01-2024

  Led a 12-person distributed team across the Americas within the larger center of excellence, specializing in product and service design with an emphasis on GenAI-powered and facilitated innovation. Drove over $2M annually in billable work by: • Overhauling key DesignOps processes, including skill development and project assignment logic, boosting operational efficiency and resource utilization • Implementing refined UX and service design career ladders, improving team satisfaction and retention through clear growth opportunities • Cultivating cross-functional collaboration across design, product, and engineering teams, reducing project churn and accelerating timelines • Scaling U.S. operations into nearshore regions (Mexico, Colombia, and Chile), increasing design capacity and expanding hiring pipelines to meet demand

• Studio design director · thoughtbot08-01-2019 – 05-01-2020

  Led product/UX design and strategy for a 20-person studio. Focused on cross-functional collaboration, team dynamics, hiring, and client engagement while: • Upskilling/mentoring/growth through one-on-ones, pairing sessions, work critiques, weekly lightning talks, retros, and other group sessions • De-risking client ideas by developing proofs of concept (PoCs) and minimum viable products (MVPs), ensuring successful project outcomes • Collaborating with a distributed team to enhance diversity/inclusion practices

• Product design director - founding · Shep04-01-2017 – 12-01-2021

  Design direction/management to a mid-stage travel startup in Austin, TX, focusing on product, UX, and branding. Pivoted from SMB to enterprise, acquired by Flight Centre — one of a number of partners and investors — in 2021.

• Product design director - founding · Sesame09-01-2018 – 08-01-2019

  First designer, led the 0 to 1 development of a two-sided healthcare marketplace with more than 5K monthly active users (MAU). Created Figma design system with Storybook repository and conducted biweekly guerrilla research sprints. Managed creative/brand development and QA testing across Austin, Berlin, and NYC teams.

• Senior service designer · Fjord08-01-2013 – 09-01-2018

  Hands-on lead in product design, expanding expertise to include service design, workshop facilitation, and user research for Fortune 100 companies. With others from the design group, self organized into a guild for career growth and self-development. Also proposed and developed the Design Voices series and co-hosted Fjord Fika, our group's flagship podcast.

• Director UX design · Brabble11-01-2012 – 08-01-2013
• Design director · Mediabistro09-01-2011 – 11-01-2012
• Freelance graphic web designer · scw creative01-01-2005 – 09-01-2011

  Clients included PBS FRONTLINE, Keller Williams HQ, and Rx.com, working through GSD&M, T3, and Aquent among others. Recognized with Silver Addy Award (2008) and How Magazine Merit Award (2006).

Education

• AJ&Smart facilitationCertificate, Design sprint masterclass
• altMBA
• Various activitiesLearnings related to product/UX design, service design, team management
• The University of Texas at El PasoBachelor of Arts, Double major: Playwriting and English Literature

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