I’m a seasoned product designer, creative technologist, and team leader, deeply committed to human-centered design principles. Through my years of experience, I’ve leveraged a passion for design and technology to build intuitive and engaging products – including AI-powered software and hardware, mobile apps, web applications, AR/VR experiences, and more. I'm currently looking for a new UX/Design leadership role, either as a Senior IC or VP/Director-level role.
2020 – 2024
For the past four years I led design as a Director and Principal Designer at Motional, a late-stage startup developing self-driving cars, and boasting deep commercial partnerships with Uber, UberEats, and Lyft. In my latest role at Motional, I lead the design of future self-driving experiences for Motional's next generation vehicles, focusing on team leadership, strategy, user research, UX, interaction, and UI design across several modalities (mobile, voice, physical controls, audio, lighting, etc.).
Prior to this, as a Designer and UX Director at Motional, I oversaw the development of multipiple programs and products, including Motional's first commercial robotaxi, remote vehicle intervention tools, and vehicle management, analytics, and deployment tools. As one of the first designers at the company, I spearheaded the growth of Motional's Design and Research teams from small niche functions to core contributors within the company, growing the design & research teams from 2 to ~20 members during my tenure. Motional is now operating fully driverless in Las Vegas.
2016 – 2020
Before joining Motional, I was the founding product designer at Luminopia, a digital therapeutics startup incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab. Luminopia was founded on the principle that treatment doesn’t have to be mundane; engaging experiences and content can enhance adherence. Luminopia achieved FDA approval for its flagship product, Luminopia One™, and is currently scaling the treatment to thousands of patients across the US. I led the design process for Luminopia One from inception to it’s pivotal clinical trial, creating a pioneering solution that combines virtual reality with a companion app to stream popular children’s content while treating Amblyopia (lazy eye). Recently, Luminopia One was recognized as one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2023, and has garnered attention in prestigious scientific publications such as Nature magazine and Ophthalmology.
2006 – 2017
Before my tenure at Luminopia, I cultivated my career as a versatile freelancer and lead designer at various design studios in the Boston area. Over the years, I’ve spearheaded efforts for numerous renowned brands in the realms of technology, B2B, and healthcare. With a specialization in design strategy, UX, UI, interaction design, and creative development, I worked across diverse mediums such as mobile apps, augmented and virtual reality, interactive exhibits, and motion graphics.
Lifelong learning
I’ve consistently pushed myself to learn new skills, expanding my expertise into diverse areas such as Generative AI, 3D animation, Object-oriented programming (C#, C++, Python, JavaScript), electronics design and prototyping, sound and video editing, and 3D/interactive development. Previously, I volunteered as a judge at CSS Design Awards and contributed to organizing the BostonVR Meetup Group.
If you’re interested in chatting, don’t hesitate to get in touch at tjd@tristandwyer.com.
