Shannon McCready

About Shannon McCready

I’m a design leader who thrives on solving complex, ambiguous problems in enterprise and B2B spaces. Currently at Adobe, I lead a platform design team shaping Adobe Express into a modular, extensible creative app used by millions. My focus is turning complexity into clarity, whether that means architecting a cohesive platform across products, designing frictionless developer experiences, or guiding a team through ambiguous problem spaces.Over the course of my career, I have been able to use my systems-thinking super power in every role. I specialize in connecting the dots across people, products, and processes. Sometimes that looks like creating a unifying platform vision across multiple business units. Other times it’s about spotting patterns that allow us to scale faster, or building the right connections across teams so everyone can move forward together. At the team level, I am equally focused on connecting the dots for individuals by helping designers grow in their craft, expand their influence, and see how their work ladders up to bigger business goals.My path here has not been linear. With a BFA in Graphic Design, I started as a front-end developer, shifted into UX design, explored research and strategy, and now lead high-performing design teams. That journey gave me a broad perspective on how organizations work and a toolkit for solving problems from many angles. It also gave me a deep appreciation for the often-overlooked developer experience, which has become one of my favorite areas to design for.I believe the best design leadership is rooted in human connection. I lead with empathy, inclusivity, and collaboration, helping my teams feel empowered, my partners feel supported, and our products feel effortless. My goal is to cultivate teams that are not only high-performing, but also resilient, creative, and energized by the work we do together.Outside of work, I can usually be found building self-sustaining terrariums, hunting for antiques with stories to tell, experimenting in the kitchen, playing video games, or exploring new areas with my husband and our dogs.

Experience

1. Group Design Manager, Extensibility & Partnerships

   Adobe

   Feb 2026 — Present

Education

• Mississippi State University

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), Graphic Design

  2003 — 2007

Skills

• Front-End Development
• Web Design
• User Experience Testing
• Graphic Design
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Interaction Design
• Product Design
• Design Strategy
• Web Standards
• Css
• Web Development
• Rapid Prototyping
• Sketch
• Information Architecture
• User Experience
• User Experience Design
• Foundation
• User Research
• Photoshop
• Application Design
• Logo Design
• User-Centered Design
• Creative Problem Solving
• Front-End
• User Interface Design