# Aaron Salmon (@aaronsalmon.com)

Profile: https://sifa.id/p/aaronsalmon.com
Headline: A jovial lad • User Experience & Product Design Leader • Community Organizer
Location: Eau Claire-Menomonie Area

## About

Hey there! I'm Aaron, the kind of UX leader who does whatever research it takes to understand real user needs. With 20+ years spanning everything from political campaigns to Pentagon systems, I've built teams, bridged departments, and created design systems that scale. I love translating complex challenges and workflows into intuitive digital solutions people embrace and adopt.

I believe design can strengthen our social fabric and democracy one interaction at a time, and I show up every day and build teams with what I call 'colleaguery'—that sense of ensemble where mutual support and creative exchange thrive.

When not at my computer, I'm co-owning a coffee/bike shop, serving on nonprofit boards focused on civic engagement, and teaching my two boys to fish, bike, and kayak.

## Experience

- **User Experience Designer at N2IA Technologies** (2025 – present)
- **Co-Owner at SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar** (2018 – present)
  Co-founded downtown Eau Claire's bicycle repair shop and craft coffee bar, managing full spectrum of brick-and-mortar startup operations while applying UX design thinking to physical retail experiences. Business Operations:  Systems Integration: Implemented POS systems, inventory management software, and ordering platforms across bicycle and coffee product lines  Operations Management: Managed supply chain logistics, vendor relationships, staff hiring and training, and financial operations including banking and accounting systems  Community Impact: Created gathering space for cycling advocacy and local organizing while contributing to downtown revitalization efforts  Policy Engagement: Leveraged business platform to advocate for cycling infrastructure improvements and community mobility policies  Key Learning: Gained hands-on experience with small business ownership from regulatory compliance to customer retention, deepening understanding of how design decisions impact real business operations and community outcomes. Applied user experience principles to physical space design and service delivery.
- **Owner / Consultant at Auraworks Ltd.** (2007 – present)
  Independent UX Direction, UI Design, & Front-end Development consulting. Personal Web Initiatives, Mentoring & Advising.
- **Workflow User Experience Lead - Mission Command Apps (MCA) at DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO)** (2025 – 2025)
  Workflow User Experience Lead
  \- Mission Command Apps (MCA) Advanced Command and Control Accelerator (AC2A) Chief Digital & Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) Office of the Secretary of Defense  As Defense Digital Service transitioned operations, I provided cross-organizational support to the Advanced Command and Control Accelerator (AC2A) team during critical contract renegotiation period. Led strategic UX research and analysis for ~$800M Mission Command Apps portfolio across all Combatant Commands.
  
  Key initiatives:
  • Conducted stakeholder analysis with CDAO representatives and tech leads across all Combatant Commands to identify redundancies and cost-saving opportunities
  • Designed research framework to evaluate vendor deliverables and identify patterns in capability development, including stakeholder interviews and trend analysis, uncovering opportunities for shared capabilities rather than command-specific development
  • Proposed community of practice framework to enable knowledge sharing of workflows, best practices, trainings, and tool usage across commands
  • Conceptualized post-delivery evaluation frameworks for future contracts requiring detailed technical documentation to enable cross-command capability transfer
- **User Experience Design & Research Lead / Design Guild Lead at Defense Digital Service** (2020 – 2025)
  Led end-to-end user experience and product design initiatives for high-stakes, mission-critical applications within a federal defense environment. Championed user-centered design at the Pentagon while serving as a strategic advisor to multiple defense organizations, breaking through operational bottlenecks and developing solutions for complex challenges. -- GS-15, TS/SCI  Key responsibilities included:
  • Owned complete brand, design, and user experience for multiple projects, from initial research through feature roadmapping and technical implementation, including HTML/CSS frameworks and component systems
  • Created high-fidelity prototypes for mobile and desktop applications, enabling rapid validation of complex user experiences
  • Conducted global field research across military installations, translating user needs into actionable product improvements
  • Transformed paper-based processes into digital workflows, establishing data collection frameworks to enable future analysis, optimization, and AI integration
  • Architected and drove full product lifecycle processes, balancing multiple stakeholder requirements while managing vendor relationships
  • Served as Design Guild Lead, partnering with leadership to evaluate incoming projects, establish internal processes, and optimize team workload distribution
  • Served as strategic advisor to defense organizations, developing targeted solutions to unlock stalled initiatives
  • Established post-mortem frameworks and knowledge-sharing initiatives that enhanced team processes and standardized best practices
  • Fostered communities of practice across defense departments and contracting agencies, helping junior designers navigate government complexities while promoting awareness of established frameworks, design systems, and best practices
  • Led cross-functional teams through complex design challenges, ensuring alignment between user needs and mission objectives
- **UI/UX Consultant at Rock the Vote** (2019 – 2020)
  Rapidly scaled RockTheVote's client services by designing and delivering dozens of custom-branded voter registration portals for major partner organizations. Led end-to-end design process from initial client engagement through final approval, efficiently translating diverse brand guidelines into functional voter engagement platforms. Strengthened the organization's design system by developing new components and patterns that streamlined future implementations. Demonstrated versatility as designer, brand specialist, client manager, and system architect while managing multiple concurrent client relationships and tight delivery timelines.
- **Head of User Experience at Entropy Multimedia, Inc.** (2018 – 2019)
  Focused on building a UX team, acquiring new clients and projects, updating internal branding, design system, and marketing collateral. Lead UX Research, Wireframes and Product Design for our clients. Bridge in-house Engineering teams with client-side Design. Oversee centralized front-end codebases for clients and internal projects. Facilitate UX research, feature development, testing and roadmap for our enterprise CMS.
- **Director Of User Experience at Combinaut** (2015 – 2017)
  Led UX design and technical implementation for digital marketing tools serving major healthcare organizations, with Scripps Health as our primary partner. I focused on creating marketing platforms, CMS solutions, and provider search tools that helped healthcare teams create effective patient engagement campaigns.
  
  Key Healthcare UX Work:  Marketing platform design: Built unified design systems and component libraries that enabled rapid deployment of custom healthcare marketing campaigns while maintaining brand consistency  CMS and content architecture: Designed content management solutions that helped healthcare marketers create compelling patient experiences without getting lost in complex medical requirements  Data visualization for healthcare: Created interactive maps and dashboard interfaces that made complex healthcare data actionable for marketing teams  Scalable design operations: Established DesignOps processes that let teams respond quickly to client needs while maintaining design quality across multiple healthcare providers  Campaign optimization tools: Developed marketing tools and page optimization strategies that improved healthcare campaign effectiveness and patient engagement
- **Founding Team Member / Design & UX Lead at Public Good Software, Inc.** (2013 – 2015)
  Tasks: Product Design, UX Research, Prototypes, Branding, Front-End Development, DesignOps, A/B Testing, User Observations, Design Sprints, User Journey Maps, Personas, Collateral Design & Production  I am a Founding Team Member of Public Good Software. I created the brand system and marketing assets to support multiple work-streams. I conducted UX Research, working with our nonprofit partners to identify and map out features that would help them accomplish their mission. I used in-person user observations, design sprints, user journeys and personas to guide our product roadmap. I produced wireframes, user stories, UI design and HTML/Sass for our platform and marketplace. Championed best practices in user-centered design & user experience design. Created and maintained a code-based styleguide to be a point of reference for others on the team and our external partners.
- **Design & Product Mentor at TechStars** (2014 – 2014)
  Served as design and product mentor for Techstars Chicago's 2014 accelerator class following the acquisition of ExcelerateLabs, where I had previously designed the brand identity. Provided strategic design guidance and product development expertise to 10 selected startups during their intensive three-month acceleration program.
  
  Mentorship Focus Areas:  Product Design Strategy: Guided early-stage founders through user experience design challenges, helping translate complex technical concepts into market-ready products  Brand & Visual Identity Development: Leveraged my branding experience to help startups establish compelling visual identities and design systems that resonated with target audiences  Design Thinking Integration: Introduced design thinking methodologies to technical founders, helping them incorporate user-centered design principles into their product development processes  Go-to-Market Design Support: Assisted startups in creating compelling demo materials, pitch decks, and marketing assets for investor presentations and Demo Day preparation  Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked alongside world-class entrepreneurs and investors to provide holistic mentorship covering design, product strategy, and business development  Program Impact: Contributed to the successful transition from ExcelerateLabs to the national Techstars platform, helping establish design excellence as a core component of the accelerator experience. Supported founders in preparing compelling presentations for Demo Day, where companies showcased their progress to over 500 angel and venture investors.
  
  Key Learning & Growth: This experience deepened my understanding of early-stage startup challenges while allowing me to share design expertise with visionary founders from diverse backgrounds. The intensive mentorship environment reinforced my passion for using design thinking to solve complex business problems and guide the next generation of technology leaders.
- **Design & UX Consultant at Smart Chicago Collaborative** (2013 – 2013)
  Tasks: Visual Design, IA & content gathering, wireframing, Front-End Development  Leveraging open data and technology to engage citizens, streamline government and guide policy.
- **Professional Fellow (Art Director) - Knight Lab (Northwestern University) at Northwestern University** (2012 – 2013)
  Joined Northwestern University's Knight Lab as founding Professional Fellow to establish brand identity and design operations for this groundbreaking media innovation program. Led visual design strategy while mentoring students and faculty in design thinking approaches to data journalism and interactive storytelling tools.
  
  Brand Foundation & Identity Design: Developed comprehensive visual identity and brand guidelines for Knight Lab's launch, establishing design standards that would define the program's visual presence across all touchpoints  Design System Architecture: Created scalable design patterns, style guides, and component libraries enabling students and faculty to produce consistent, professional journalism tools and storytelling projects  Student Mentorship & Design Education: Mentored incoming fellows and students on design best practices, providing hands-on guidance for data journalism and interactive storytelling projects  Template & Workflow Development: Built reusable design templates and established design operations workflows that enabled rapid prototyping and deployment of journalism tools like TimelineJS and StoryMapJS  Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Worked alongside technologists, journalists, and educators to translate complex storytelling concepts into accessible visual designs for media innovation projects  Front-End Development Support: Contributed HTML/CSS development and technical implementation to ensure design vision translated effectively into functional journalism tools  Speaking & Knowledge Sharing: Presented design methodologies and best practices to Knight Lab community, helping establish design thinking as core component of media innovation curriculum
- **Lead UI/UX Engineer (HQ Technology Team) at Obama for America** (2011 – 2012)
  My time with the Obama 2012 campaign in Chicago was one of those career-defining experiences that forever changed how I approach design work. As the only designer on the Technology team, I had the crucial responsibility of bridging the Tech and Design departments during one of the most innovative digital campaigns in history.
  
  I led UX for several high-impact projects including the Call Tool that facilitated over 3 million voter outreach calls and front-end development for the barackobama.com store. My most significant contribution was serving as lead UX and Front-End Engineer on 'Dashboard' – our complex online field organizer platform that powered the campaign's ground game across the country. We incorporated proven organizing strategies like the Snowflake Model of Community Engagement directly into the platform's architecture.
  
  I led design support and front-end engineering for ~70 branded tech projects, creating high-fidelity designs, components, templates, and maintaining a code-based styleguide and HTML/CSS DesignOps framework that empowered our engineering department to build consistent experiences.
  
  I helped maintain our culture of experimentation by supporting A/B testing for donation pages, event registration, and other high-impact areas. We rigorously tested everything from page weight and copy changes to button colors and layouts, keeping performance optimization always top of mind.
  
  Working closely with the Director of UX, I helped define these projects and align them with overarching field operation goals through personas, wireframes, and prototypes. As my UX Director and now good friend Jason Kunesh said, 'After the President hugs you and tells you that he expects you to carry on his legacy, it's tricky to re-enter the world you once knew.'  The lessons I learned about community organizing, creating efficient design processes, and building bridges between teams have stayed with me ever since.
- **Co-Founder at OhSoWe.com** (2010 – 2011)
  Used creativity, passion and technology to design and create an innovative neighbor-focused collaborative consumption platform to help solve global challenges and bridge the gap between online and offline communities.
- **Design & Usability Director at mk2 development** (2008 – 2010)
  Lead design and front-end development for a growing portfolio of small businesses, startups and firms who enlisted mk2's web and application development services.
- **User Interface & Front-end Development Consultant at Solfo** (2008 – 2010)
  Developed CSS frameworks for an Online Review & Business Listing Management System as well as developed themes and theming systems for Solfo's clients.
- **Art Director at Tecture, LLC.** (2007 – 2008)
  Leveraged design, front-end development, user experience, community building, and information architecture skills to translate client objectives into a visual and successful solution. Led and mentored my team in the ways of web standards, design techniques and web trends. Contributed to proposals, project management and daily business operations.
- **Internet Designer/Developer at Quicksilver Associates** (2005 – 2007)
  Worked with design team and Project Managers to conceptualize, design and deliver internet projects for Quicksilver's clients. Provided documentation, quotes, storyboards, mockups and web production while adhering to extensive brand standards, challenging timeframes and budgets.
- **Web Design Supervisor at The Core Organization** (2002 – 2005)
  Led design team and lifecycle marketing strategy for major health and wellness brands including EAS sports nutrition and GNC supplement lines. Managed end-to-end customer journey design focusing on health-conscious consumer segments.
  
  Key Contributions:  Health & Wellness Marketing Leadership: Directed campaigns for sports nutrition and supplement brands, developing deep understanding of health-focused consumer behavior and decision-making processes  Cross-Channel Design Integration: Coordinated with print and direct mail departments to extend brand elements into digital experiences, ensuring cohesive customer touchpoints across all channels  Lifecycle Marketing Strategy: Created comprehensive customer journey designs from health awareness through product adoption and long-term wellness engagement  Team Leadership: Managed design team, coordinated freelance staff, developed proposals, and established creative direction for health and wellness campaigns  Performance-Driven Design: Evaluated web traffic, marketing response rates, and sales data to optimize user experiences across print, digital, and email channels  Multi-Channel Campaign Development: Produced websites, microsites, and email campaigns extending print marketing assets while focusing on usability and health education  Strategic Impact: Built foundation for understanding how design impacts health and wellness decision-making, developing expertise in creating trustworthy experiences for consumers navigating complex health choices while managing integrated campaigns across traditional and digital channels.
- **eLearning Creative Developer at Integrated Performance Systems** (2001 – 2002)
  Designed and created online learning applications, interactive games and activities that focused on instructional design and learning objectives. Contributed to all design, content, UI, interaction flow, storyboards and web production. and learning objectives. Contributed to all design, content, UI, interaction flow, storyboards and web production
- **Web Developer/Team Lead at UNETY Systems, Inc.** (1999 – 2001)
  Designed and developed various websites and eCommerce solutions. Directed workflow and collaborated with Managers, Designers and Programmers. Handled employee scheduling and performance reviews for my team.

## Education

- **College of DuPage** (2002 – present)
- **Chippewa Valley Technical College** — Web Authoring & Publishing Certificate (1998 – 1998)

## Skills

- Sketch App
- Emotional Design
- Campaign Strategy Integration
- Persona
- Cross-browser Compatibility
- Cabaret
- Mixed-Methods Research & Survey Design
- Communication
- HTML 5
- Stakeholder Management
- Team Leadership & Mentoring
- Billiards
- A/B Testing & Optimization
- Interaction Design
- Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Graphic Design
- Responsive Design
- Field Research & Ethnography
- Typography
- Adobe Creative Suite
- CMS
- Civic Engagement
- Mobile Applications
- Figma (Software)
- User Interface Design
- User Experience
- XHTML
- Creative Direction
- Branding & Identity
- User Experience (UX)
- Digital Strategy
- Design Thinking
- HTML5
- Field Research
- HTML/CSS Development
- Design Research
- Page Layout
- Service Blueprints
- Community Gardens
- DesignOps
- Strategic UX Planning
- Workshop Facilitation
- Layout
- Interaction Design & Prototyping
- User Research
- User Journey Mapping
- Component Library Development
- Customer Experience Design
- Cross-functional Team Collaboration
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- User-centered Design
- Product Strategy
- Product Design
- Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Web Design
- Art Direction
- CSS
- HTML
- Git
- Visual Design
- Information Architecture
- Magento
- Accessibility
- Ruby on Rails
- PHP
- Agile Methodologies
- Logo Design
- OS X
- Content Management
- Usability
- Web Development
- Web Standards
- Web Applications
- Blogging
- User Experience Design
- WordPress

## Projects

- **Obama for America - Dashboard** — https://dashboard.barackobama.com
  A virtual field office to help volunteers do the work that mattered most, and do it as efficiently as possible all the while helping leadership have a window into real-time statistics about how the field was performing in their various responsibilities.
- **Obama for America - National Campaign Online Store** — http://store.barackobama.com/
  I wrangled the technology development and updates for the Obama campaign's national online store, including code rebuilds, bug fixes, and various enhancements, with engineers Ivan Indrautama, Nick Leeper, and Aaron Salmon, under the watchful eye of Dan Ratner, the director of development.
- **Prior Affiliations / Accolades** — http://aaronsalmon.com
  • Chippewa Valley Developer Group
- Speaker
• Code for Eau Claire
- Brigade Captain
• Startup48, Design & UX Mentor
• Alliance for Strong Communities, Panelist
• Chippewa Valley Code Camp, Speaker
• TechStars Chicago, Design & UX Mentor
• Columbia College, Speaker
• SXSW 2014, Speaker
• Mozfest London 2013, Speaker
• 2013 Webby Award Winner (OBAMA FOR AMERICA 2012)
• George & Seeley Community Garden, Founder
• Tribeca Flashpoint College, Mentor
• Illinois Institute of Art, Speaker
• Chicago Habitat for Humanity, Volunteer
• Chicago Tinkering School, Volunteer
• FIRST Robotics, Safety Judge
• Illinois Institute of Art
- ARTimation Awards 2008-2010, Judge
• 2005 Rails Day Competition Awards
• CADM (Chicago Area Direct Marketing) Awards

## Volunteering

- Committee Chair (BPAC - Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee) at City of Eau Claire
- Vice President - Board Of Directors at Clear Vision Eau Claire
- Board Member at Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance, Inc.
- Board Member at Bike Chippewa Valley
- Steering Committee Member at Third Ward Neighborhood Association

## Other profiles

- website: https://www.aaronsalmon.com