I'm a big picture thinker who breaks down abstract concepts into approachable, concrete tasks and tangible products. Before I build, I listen. I watch. I orient myself with the problems faced by the business and by the user, then weigh the pros and cons of each potential strategy. Simultaneously, I'll test ideas incrementally, get feedback, revamp. I believe in solidifying ideas as we discuss so we know we're on the same page—we're not left wondering if we've understood each other correctly. I work quickly and thoughtfully, and teach others to do the same.

I'm known for being able to turn a conversation with a stakeholder into a complete set of design requirements by the end of the discussion, and into a prototype by the end of the day.

"Kari is without a doubt the best Design professional I have had the opportunity of working with. Her time navigating the ever-changing landscape of agency, paired with her deep knowledge of brand strategy, allow Kari to bring a fresh and unique perspective to Product. Perhaps what has amazed me most over the past two years of working with Kari is her ability to immerse herself at any level of the business and provide clear, concise thoughts on how to deliver iterative value that solves key customer pain-points.

Cole Jaillet, Director of Product Management
Esper

Design is a tool. Like any tool, its efficacy is dictated by how well it's used. Design is often brought into business after the foundation of a product has been built and iterated on many times over, leaving design to serve an additive role atop a pre-existing structure of engineered constraints and mismatching experiences. When this happens, product delivery efficiency can take a drastic dip—but it doesn't have to be that way.

Design thrives with limitations, but acknowledging the work needed to address issues resulting from product architecture or semantic structures is crucial for managing expectations around design's level of impact. The first topic I discuss with leadership when considering a design role is how they envision design will operate to bring about the desired improvements within the limitations created from prior work.

The fastest way to get design and product delivery efficiency back to ramming speed, is to hire someone who has previously built design processes and design teams, who understands and empathizes with other disciplines—particularly engineering—and to temporarily reduce the breadth of features being developed so new complex structures aren't continually adding to design debt.

Thoughtful design can mean the difference between scalable features and months (or years) of painstaking rework. Bringing in a seasoned design lead as the first hire rather than assembling a team of less experienced designers to attack many features at once allows your organization to be positioned more competitively. By ironing out process and focusing on doing few things well to test out the new structure creates a flywheel of efficiency and reliable quality.

"When Kari joined Esper we were in a phase of rapid growth. After just closing a $30M funding round–and another $60M shortly after that–she was forced to scale the design function rapidly. Throughout this time, Kari fostered a sense of collaboration and scrappiness that was unrivaled. Dealing with difficult constraints and high pressure demand from stakeholders, she was still able to grow her team and quickly onboard them to productivity. I remain impressed to this day by her ability to produce in the toughest of environments."

Cole Jaillet, Director of Product Management
Esper