Shaun Herron

Senior Product Designer

I design thoughtful software that helps people do meaningful work.

My focus is turning complex systems into clear, understandable experiences. I care about products that are useful, calm to use, and built to last.

Over the past several years I’ve worked on large-scale software used by thousands of educators, coaches, and school leaders. My work has included product design, design systems, and AI-assisted tools that help professionals reflect on and improve their practice.

I enjoy working at the intersection of product thinking, design systems, and close collaboration with engineers to create software that works well for both users and development teams.

What I Bring to a Team

Clear Thinking

I enjoy working through complex problems and finding the simplest path forward. I take time to understand what people are really trying to accomplish so the solution solves the right problem.

Product Partnership

Strong products come from close collaboration between design and product leadership. I work closely with product managers and product owners to clarify problems, shape solutions, and ensure the work supports both user needs and business goals.

Systems Thinking

I look for patterns across a product so the experience feels consistent and easy to learn. Building strong design systems helps teams move faster and keeps products from becoming fragmented as they grow.

Calm, Practical Design

I believe good software should feel calm and understandable. Interfaces should guide people naturally instead of forcing them to figure things out.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Good design happens through collaboration. I enjoy working with product, engineering, and other partners to shape solutions that are thoughtful, practical to build, and aligned with the direction of the product.

Long-Term Product Thinking

I try to design solutions that not only solve today’s problem but also support where the product may go in the future.

How I Approach Product Design

Start with the real problem

Before designing anything, I try to understand what people are actually trying to accomplish. Sometimes the request for a feature is only a symptom of a deeper need. Taking the time to understand the real problem leads to better solutions.

Make complex things feel simple

Many products become difficult to use because complexity is pushed onto the user. I try to move that complexity into the system so the interface remains clear and understandable.

Think in systems, not just screens

Individual screens matter, but the experience of a product is created by the patterns that repeat across it. I look for ways to create consistent structures and components that help the product grow without becoming confusing.

Work closely with product and engineering

Design works best when designers, product managers, and engineers shape solutions together. I enjoy collaborating early and often so ideas can evolve into solutions that are thoughtful, practical to build, and aligned with the product vision.

Design for the long term

Products grow and change over time. I try to design solutions that not only solve the current problem but also support where the product may go next.

Selected Experience

Senior Product Designer

Education Technology Platform

I worked on a large web platform used by educators, instructional coaches, and school leaders to support teaching practice and professional growth.

My work focused on improving the clarity and usability of complex workflows used by thousands of users across hundreds of schools.

Key contributions included:

  • Designing and maintaining a scalable design system with more than 100 components and hundreds of design variables

  • Simplifying complex product workflows used by educators and coaches

  • Designing AI-assisted tools that helped educators improve student outcomes

  • Partnering closely with product managers and engineering to bring ideas from concept to implementation

  • Supporting a small design team and helping establish consistent patterns across the product

Strengths

I’m especially interested in working on products that involve:

  • complex platforms and workflows

  • thoughtful design systems

  • tools that help people learn, teach, or do meaningful work

  • emerging AI-assisted tools that support human decision making

Top Skills

  • Product Design

  • UX Design

  • Design Systems

  • Interaction Design

  • User Experience Strategy

  • Product Strategy

  • User Research

  • Information Architecture

  • Prototyping

  • Figma

  • Figma Make

  • Design Tokens / Variables

  • Component Libraries

  • Usability Testing

  • Cross-functional Collaboration

  • AI Product Design