Kat Take

About Kat Take

I\'m an innovator at heart and a UX Design Leader who thrives on 0→1 product innovation. I specialize in founding new product lines, establishing design practices where none exist, and building design operations that enable teams to scale. Whether it\'s AI-powered UX or complex enterprise systems, I combine design thinking with operational excellence to ship products that matter. I love being a Design Manager because it lets me multiply impact through people.As a leader, my job is to create an environment where teams can do their best work. I practice user-centered design not just for our customers, but for my teams. I set a high bar for quality while giving people the clarity, systems, and support they need to meet it. My cross-functional leadership style focuses on building bridges between Product, Engineering, and Design. What I\'m most proud of isn\'t just what we ship. It\'s watching my people grow, get promoted, and succeed. I\'m also a foodie. I believe both great meals and great work require the right ingredients and care.Over 15 years at Amazon and Microsoft, I\'ve delivered 4 S-team goals (CEO-level priorities), founded design practices 3 times, and led 5 0-to-1 product innovations generating $7.5MM in annual value. I founded Virtual Try-On at Amazon Fashion (featured in TechCrunch, Vogue, Fast Company), grew Amazon Alumni to 250K accounts saving $1.9MM annually, and contributed to 4 design patents across both companies. I\'ve operated across 2-3 VP organizations, establishing DesignOps frameworks and quality standards that teams still use today.Open to management roles where I can lead larger teams, develop design leaders, and build for long-term impact. Open to founding design roles or Principal IC positions that combine strategic leadership with hands-on craft. Particularly interested in companies working on AI-powered products, travel tech, fashion tech, e-commerce, and complex discovery systems. When I\'m not building design teams, you\'ll find me exploring the best restaurants in Seattle.

Experience

1. Founding Design Lead Global Realty Tech

   Amazon

   Jun 2024 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Established UX design operations for Amazon\'s Global Realty, introducing UX research as organizational function. Delivered products achieving 5-6.5× target adoption and 6.1/7 CES scores. Built strategic frameworks and positioned UX as connector between Product and Engineering across global portfolio- Established design operations foundation: onboarding, team structure, quality standards (SCAT 5.5/7 minimum, CES baseline metrics), team rituals, and UX roadmap- Authored organization\'s first UX Strategy & Vision and built AI-driven component framework for scalable, consistent product experiences- Introduced UX research as organizational capability, establishing usability testing and JTBD research as core practices. JTBD insights became so valuable that other product teams requested similar research, elevating UX visibility organization-wide- Created \"How to Work with UX\" operational playbook and conducted organization-wide roadshow. Established weekly UX Office Hours for teams without dedicated support- GR Tech Hub: Designed end-to-end experience, shipped 5 days early. Achieved 80-100% sustained usage (5-6.5× the 15% target) and 6.1/7 CES (+1.2 above baseline)

Education

• Massachusetts College of Art and Design

  MFA, Dynamic Media Design

  2008 — 2010

• Salem State University

  BA, Graphic Design, Web Design, and Marketing

  2002 — 2006

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Entreprenureship, Participatory Media

  2009 — 2009

• Harvard University

  Marketing

  2008 — 2008

Skills

• Design Thinking
• Wireframing
• Creative Problem Solving
• Html + Css
• Product Strategy
• User Experience Design
• Final Cut Pro
• Mobile Design
• Concept Development
• User-Centered Design
• Wireframes
• Graphic Design
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Illustrator
• Branding & Identity
• Photoshop
• Indesign
• Html
• Adobe Illustrator
• Mobile Devices
• User Interface
• Art Direction
• User Interface Design
• Mobile Web Design
• Web Design
• User Experience
• Visual Communication
• Interaction Design
• Product Design
• Competitive Analysis
• Experience Design
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Storytelling
• Project Management
• Microsoft Office
• Information Architecture
• Mobile Applications
• Strategic Thinking
• Sketching
• Typography