Rich Robinson is
a Seattle-based UX leader & advocate.
“Rich checks all the critical points in team leadership, business acumen with the design domain, and has a relentless drive to be a change agent who is working to improve our internal process.”
- Chris Hannon, Director of Design at Zonar Systems
About me
My full name is Richard Robert Robinson. What can I say? My parents loved alliteration.
I've always been a bit of a nerd. As a kid, if I wasn't playing around dressed up as one of my favorite superheroes or up in my room with my nose in a book, I was sketching, doodling, or drawing. I always wanted to be making stuff.
That still holds true today. When I’m not running discovery workshops, conducting UX studies, or building style guides, I’m usually planning the next adventure in my long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaign, painting, cooking dinner for my wife, or taking my three dogs for a walk.
You can download my resume, view my LinkedIn profile, and my references are available on request.
How I work
My leadership style
The people I work with are, first and foremost, people, which is why Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor resonates so much with me. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, supported with genuine care, and engaged in a direct, honest, and constructive dialogue.
Things I believe in
Disagree and commit. Because progress is better than perfection.
Embrace our differences. Diversity makes us stronger and our teams better.
Take initiative. Even if we’re on the right track, we’ll get hit by the train if we just sit there.
Stay curious. Imagination breeds innovation.
Have fun. Humor is contagious and refills our tanks.
Case studies and more
Here are a couple examples of my latest work, and you can find all of them on my Work page.
Zonar Systems // Design System and Pattern Library
Read about how I launched Zonar System’s first comprehensive Design System and Pattern Library boosting productivity by 38% and saving Zonar an estimated $9.04M over five years.
Zonar Systems // UX Management
Read how I approach managing teams of designers, drive business goals, foster collaboration across disciplines, and strive for continuous improvement.
Nice things people have said about me
“Rich’s support and actionable feedback helped me grow and become a more critical thinker when approaching project work.”
- Jennifer Gaines
“Together we faced an uphill battle seeking cross-team alignment on many design system objectives and Rich consistently went to bat, putting in the work on assembling resources and data necessary to advocate for our needs.”
- Daniel Singer
“Rich is a Servant Leader through and through, characterized by his drive to create an inclusive and collaborative work environment where everyone's contributions are valued and recognized.”
- Drory Ben-Menachem
“Rich continues to bring deep design expertise, strategic design direction & leadership to all aspects of Human Centered Design practice within Zonar.”
- Chris Hannon
Leading a workshop for 65+ participants
Some companies where I’ve done great work
