A pixelated self portrat of Brendan Finlayson
HEy, i'm brendan.
HEy, i'm brendan.
HEy, i'm brendan.
HEy, i'm brendan.
HEy, i'm brendan.

I'm a multidisciplinary design leader who makes cool stuff.

Portland (Oregon) born, Oakland (California) based.

Portland (Oregon) born, Oakland (California) based.

Portland (Oregon) born, Oakland (California) based.

For the past eight years as a design leader, I’ve grown and led multiple in-house teams to build products, tools, processes, and overall design capabilities from varying levels of scratch. I’ve worked to grow and simplify some pretty big and complex ecosystems like Zume’s (and Zume Pizza’s) food production products, ordering apps, and semi-autonomous food trucks. I’ve also built teams around smaller experiences like Tend’s international banking app, Guile’s barber app, and, most recently, Balto Energy's brand and product for electrifying the future of solar sales.

For the past eight years as a design leader, I’ve grown and led multiple in-house teams to build products, tools, processes, and overall design capabilities from varying levels of scratch. I’ve worked to grow and simplify some pretty big and complex ecosystems like Zume’s (and Zume Pizza’s) food production products, ordering apps, and semi-autonomous food trucks. I’ve also built teams around smaller experiences like Tend’s international banking app, Guile’s barber app, and, most recently, Balto Energy's brand and product for electrifying the future of solar sales.

For the past eight years as a design leader, I’ve grown and led multiple in-house teams to build products, tools, processes, and overall design capabilities from varying levels of scratch. I’ve worked to grow and simplify some pretty big and complex ecosystems like Zume’s (and Zume Pizza’s) food production products, ordering apps, and semi-autonomous food trucks. I’ve also built teams around smaller experiences like Tend’s international banking app, Guile’s barber app, and, most recently, Balto Energy's brand and product for electrifying the future of solar sales.

Before that, I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of product or brand design teams in many different industries during the last 20+ years, including a wide variety of in-house and agency teams. As a designer, I’ve worked on a few big brand’s products and services like Nike+, NikeID, digital and real-world retail spaces; Jawbone’s first website; GoPro’s retail web, digital, and physical experiences; The North Face’s web and in-store shopping experiences; and Oakley’s Interactive product guides.

Before that, I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of product or brand design teams in many different industries during the last 20+ years, including a wide variety of in-house and agency teams. As a designer, I’ve worked on a few big brand’s products and services like Nike+, NikeID, digital and real-world retail spaces; Jawbone’s first website; GoPro’s retail web, digital, and physical experiences; The North Face’s web and in-store shopping experiences; and Oakley’s Interactive product guides.

Before that, I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of product or brand design teams in many different industries during the last 20+ years, including a wide variety of in-house and agency teams. As a designer, I’ve worked on a few big brand’s products and services like Nike+, NikeID, digital and real-world retail spaces; Jawbone’s first website; GoPro’s retail web, digital, and physical experiences; The North Face’s web and in-store shopping experiences; and Oakley’s Interactive product guides.

SKILLS & Proficiencies I USE TO MAKE STUFF
SKILLS & Proficiencies I USE TO MAKE STUFF
SKILLS & Proficiencies I USE TO MAKE STUFF
SKILLS & Proficiencies I USE TO MAKE STUFF

• Design leadership & management

• Team management

• Hiring & growth

• Design & creative direction

• Strategy development

• Product development

• Project management

• UX & product design

• UI & interaction design

• Design systems

• Design leadership

& management

• Team management

• Hiring & growth

• Design & creative direction

• Strategy development

• Product development

• Project management

• UX & product design

• UI & interaction design

• Design systems

• Design leadership

& management

• Team management

• Hiring & growth

• Design & creative

direction

• Strategy development

• Product development

• Project management

• UX & product design

• UI & interaction design

• Design systems

• Design leadership & management

• Team management

• Hiring & growth

• Design & creative direction

• Strategy development

• Product development

• Project management

• UX & product design

• UI & interaction design

• Design systems

• Design leadership & management

• Team management

• Hiring & growth

• Design & creative direction

• Strategy development

• Product development

• Project management

• UX & product design

• UI & interaction design

• Design systems

• Mobile & web apps

• Data visualization

• Prototyping

• User research

• Brand & identity design

• Visual design

• Environment design

• Packaging design

• Music & sound design

• Mobile & web apps

• Data visualization

• Prototyping

• User research

• Brand & identity design

• Visual design

• Environment design

• Packaging design

• Music & sound design


• Mobile & web apps

• Data visualization

• Prototyping

• User research

• Brand & identity design

• Visual design

• Environment design

• Packaging design

• Music & sound design


Figma, Framer, Webflow, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, Ableton Live, Notion, Asana, Jira, Confluence, Trello, Etc.

Figma, Framer, Webflow, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, Ableton Live, Notion, Asana, Jira, Confluence, Trello, Etc.

Figma, Framer, Webflow, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, Ableton Live, Notion, Asana, Jira, Confluence, Trello, Etc.

Figma, Framer, Webflow, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, Ableton Live, Notion, Asana, Jira, Confluence, Trello, Etc.

I am available now for full-time, part-time, and contract roles.

I am available now for full-time, part-time, and contract roles.

I am available now for full-time, part-time, and contract roles.

I am available now for full-time, part-time, and contract roles.

I am available now for full-time, part-time, and contract roles.

Use one of the links or read some recommendations below to learn more about me and my work.

Recommendations

(from people who i've hired, led, and made stuff with)

He's supportive of his team, and product owners and engineering leads can also trust his design leadership will be both cognizant of their processes in product development and, ultimately, the best direction for the user experience within the end product.

He's supportive of his team, and product owners and engineering leads can also trust his design leadership will be both cognizant of their processes in product development and, ultimately, the best direction for the user experience within the end product.

He's supportive of his team, and product owners and engineering leads can also trust his design leadership will be both cognizant of their processes in product development and, ultimately, the best direction for the user experience within the end product.

He's supportive of his team, and product owners and engineering leads can also trust his design leadership will be both cognizant of their processes in product development and, ultimately, the best direction for the user experience within the end product.

He's supportive of his team, and product owners and engineering leads can also trust his design leadership will be both cognizant of their processes in product development and, ultimately, the best direction for the user experience within the end product.

Roy Brubaker

SENIOR DESIGN PROGRAM MANAGER

director of design
operations at joy

SENIOR DESIGN PROGRAM MANAGER

Brendan invested first in us and went to bat for our needs, and he always ends up with fiercely loyal teams and networks as a result.

Brendan invested first in us and went to bat for our needs, and he always ends up with fiercely loyal teams and networks as a result.

Brendan invested first in us and went to bat for our needs, and he always ends up with fiercely loyal teams and networks as a result.

Brendan invested first in us and went to bat for our needs, and he always ends up with fiercely loyal teams and networks as a result.

Brendan invested first in us and went to bat for our needs, and he always ends up with fiercely loyal teams and networks as a result.

Roxanne Tomco

Content design COACH at uxcc

Brendan has a serious talent for hiring a team that is impactful and high performing, while building a culture that is fun, inclusive, and highly positive.

Brendan has a serious talent for hiring a team that is impactful and high performing, while building a culture that is fun, inclusive, and highly positive.

Brendan has a serious talent for hiring a team that is impactful and high performing, while building a culture that is fun, inclusive, and highly positive.

Brendan has a serious talent for hiring a team that is impactful and high performing, while building a culture that is fun, inclusive, and highly positive.

Brendan has a serious talent for hiring a team that is impactful and high performing, while building a culture that is fun, inclusive, and highly positive.

Alex Fallas

interaction design LEAD at google

interaction design LEAD
at google

Time after time I saw Brendan advocate for our team and our user’s experiences, always backed by thoughtful strategy. He’s an excellent communicator and leader, who delivers great outcomes in the face of uncertainty.

Time after time I saw Brendan advocate for our team and our user’s experiences, always backed by thoughtful strategy. He’s an excellent communicator and leader, who delivers great outcomes in the face of uncertainty.

Time after time I saw Brendan advocate for our team and our user’s experiences, always backed by thoughtful strategy. He’s an excellent communicator and leader, who delivers great outcomes in the face of uncertainty.

Time after time I saw Brendan advocate for our team and our user’s experiences, always backed by thoughtful strategy. He’s an excellent communicator and leader, who delivers great outcomes in the face of uncertainty.

Time after time I saw Brendan advocate for our team and our user’s experiences, always backed by thoughtful strategy. He’s an excellent communicator and leader, who delivers great outcomes in the face of uncertainty.

Erika von Kelsch

senior product designer at quicken

senior product designer
at quicken

He has an eye for identifying and hiring skilled people who work well with others, who contribute positively to the team dynamic, who are self-motivated and don't need a lot of hand holding. He does this quickly and under pressure and handles it with grace and without losing focus on his standards or his vision. The result is a happy team that comes to work ready for the day, every day.

He has an eye for identifying and hiring skilled people who work well with others, who contribute positively to the team dynamic, who are self-motivated and don't need a lot of hand holding. He does this quickly and under pressure and handles it with grace and without losing focus on his standards or his vision. The result is a happy team that comes to work ready for the day, every day.

He has an eye for identifying and hiring skilled people who work well with others, who contribute positively to the team dynamic, who are self-motivated and don't need a lot of hand holding. He does this quickly and under pressure and handles it with grace and without losing focus on his standards or his vision. The result is a happy team that comes to work ready for the day, every day.

He has an eye for identifying and hiring skilled people who work well with others, who contribute positively to the team dynamic, who are self-motivated and don't need a lot of hand holding. He does this quickly and under pressure and handles it with grace and without losing focus on his standards or his vision. The result is a happy team that comes to work ready for the day, every day.

He has an eye for identifying and hiring skilled people who work well with others, who contribute positively to the team dynamic, who are self-motivated and don't need a lot of hand holding. He does this quickly and under pressure and handles it with grace and without losing focus on his standards or his vision. The result is a happy team that comes to work ready for the day, every day.

Matt Fisher

senior content design at SAP

Everyone on our team knew Brendan had our backs and would go to bat for us whenever it was needed. I always looked forward to our 1:1s, as I knew Brendan could always give me candid advice on whatever situation I was facing.

Everyone on our team knew Brendan had our backs and would go to bat for us whenever it was needed. I always looked forward to our 1:1s, as I knew Brendan could always give me candid advice on whatever situation I was facing.

Everyone on our team knew Brendan had our backs and would go to bat for us whenever it was needed. I always looked forward to our 1:1s, as I knew Brendan could always give me candid advice on whatever situation I was facing.

Everyone on our team knew Brendan had our backs and would go to bat for us whenever it was needed. I always looked forward to our 1:1s, as I knew Brendan could always give me candid advice on whatever situation I was facing.

Everyone on our team knew Brendan had our backs and would go to bat for us whenever it was needed. I always looked forward to our 1:1s, as I knew Brendan could always give me candid advice on whatever situation I was facing.

Kai Takahashi

Product designer at watershed

Product designer
at watershed