my name is Elinore Marks
I'm a digital experience leader & strategist
An accomplished and multifaceted digital experience designer, leader, and strategist, I provide the balance of pragmatic and strategic direction needed to create high-quality user experiences for desktop, mobile, and device-based applications.
Throughout my career, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for everything (and everyone) it takes to design and build a great digital product. I’ve managed teams and been hands-on with experience planning, strategy, user research, architecture, visual design, and prototyping.
I’ve worked at tiny start ups and Fortune 500 companies. I believe that projects start with a vision, but it takes work, persistence, and collaboration for that vision to become a reality. No one person has all the answers, and part of being a design leader is working with others to find those answers.
Communicating &
collaborating
Users, designers, stakeholders, technology, finance, and others have to come together to succeed. I love finding common ground and building empathy between UX and our partners.
Leading by
example
I take integrity seriously - trust is key to a healthy and functional team. I support my teams with actions, not just words. Creating space where everyone knows they can bring their honest perspective makes a team stronger.
Integrating UX into agile
Embedding UX into the Agile process isn't always an easy fit. It takes openness and flexibility, but it can be done. When it's done right, everyone benefits. I love this challenge because I love the team dynamic that happens when it works.
Thinking for
systems
Every experience affects something else. It's vital to look beyond the work in front of you and keep the big picture in mind. Thinking long-term leads you to the next step. Accounting the objectives of other teams or disciplines leads you to create coherent solutions.
Creating for outcome over output
UX exists to solve problems, but it can be too easy to focus on deliverables and lose sight of purpose. Design doesn't exist for itself. "What am I here to achieve?" is the most important question I can ask. If I know what success looks like I can figure out how to get there.
