Field notes: My non-linear career path
My name is Treavor Wagoner (he/him), a Black and queer lead product designer based in Austin.*
I have been designing products for over 15 years specializing in service design, design systems, and building community. In 2020, I was a guest on All Turtle’s Culture Fit podcast about racial bias in tech and a panelist for AIGA NY and Queer Design Club’s QX discussion about the queer experience in the design field. Here’s an overview of me as a team member and a bit about the work I’ve done:
On a team, I’m the very independent yet highly collaborative, super empathic, lead supporter, and I enjoy mentoring other designers. I’m entrepreneurial so I like environments where I am given the space to lead a collaborative project with partners. Program managers tend to love my organizational skills and developers praise my meticulous design specs. My values include efficiency, kindness, learning, balance, and support. Because I’m proficient in how systems work, I think about how the part affects the whole often; I can see the “big picture.” My greatest superpower is listening and making people feel heard. I am pretty big on personal development and have insights available for you on my portfolio.
In my design solutions, I research customer and user needs, design with the latest interface trends, and effectively communicate through prototypes. I enjoy using apps like Figma, Sketch, Invision, and Axure. You’ll notice a trend in collaboration, mentorship, and cultivating community in my work. Currently, I have been building an organization for Black professionals in the field of user experience that includes mentorship and a safe community, which has led me to being nominated for an Austin Under 40 award for 2021. Previously, I led and validated the adoption of Indeed’s first design system throughout the Employer product and collaborated with various partners in Indeed’s vast ecosystem to further empower hiring managers and employers. I also created and cultivated community around the design system, where I was adorned with honorable titles like “culture carrier” and “influencer.”
Before my time at Indeed, I fostered a career in product design as a consultant for various small and large companies, like American Airlines, NBC News Digital (TODAY Show), TXU Energy, and others both remotely and onsite in Austin, Dallas, and Seattle. I’ve collaborated on several brand systems, design systems, and asset management systems for users like managers, engineers, administrators of energy plants, aircrafts, network services, and virtual services. These projects have led me to a great understanding of how effective systems are built and work. My work has been featured at General Electric’s Minds + Machines (annual event showcasing industrial software and innovation), Indeed Interactive, and has been rated 4 stars on Google Play and Windows app stores (NBC TODAY Show).
For a full presentation of my experience and qualifications, please review my resume. I am eager to speak with you and appreciate your consideration.
* Why my identity matters where I work
As a person representing several minority groups, I want to know my place of employment is a safe space and supports me. While I do my research before I engage, it would help me feel comfortable as a prospective employee to know your company’s latest developments towards resolving systemic racism.