Early Career

Graduating from App State University with a bachelors in graphic design, Kimmy discovered the field of user experience design when she started working at Ally. Having always debated the subjective nature of visual design, the first time she watched a user interview, she knew she was in the right field.

For the first few years at Ally, Kimmy collaborated on projects that ranged from redesigning the About section of ally.com to reimagining how to unpack the complexity of Gap auto coverage. The peak of Kimmy’s individual contributor work at Ally was when she partnered on the challenge to demonstrate how financial products can serve through different life stages. Life Savers (as it became fondly known as) was a framework to demonstrate how Ally products and resources can help users through different moments in life.

Finding Accessibility

A pivotal moment in Kimmy’s career came 7 years ago with the introduction of accessibility (a11y) to Ally. She was selected with three other folks to discover what a11y meant to Ally. A deep dive into user interviews, technical development training, and vendor selections, Kimmy was hooked. She took on the lead role for UX accessibility with a fiery passion. Once she saw how people with disabilities were being ignored in everyday design decisions, she couldn’t stop.

Change management became her bread and butter, and advocacy was a role she gladly took on. Co-leading the A11y program for Ally, Kimmy leaned on her roots in UX to build a structure for inclusive design. Without a development partner, Kimmy dove into the technical side of accessibility so she could lead trainings for UX and Development. To her, shifting left meant providing a common language of a11y for designers and developers. Playing a role in design ops, Kimmy grew what started as trainings and best practices into an integrated design system. Within 5 years, Kimmy and her PM grew the a11y practice to a team of 7. Kimmy achieved her CPWA (Certified Professional in Web Accessibility that includes both the CPACC and WAS) in 2021.

An Opportunity

Three years ago, Kimmy had the opportunity to take on the interim role of Storefront (ally.com) and Creative Services (internal marketing) UX Director, on top of her Inclusive Design Director role. Being able to lead designers was a chance for Kimmy to combine her skills in UX and Design with her work in accessibility. Within a year, Kimmy was asked to fully take on the role as UX Director of Creative Services, a branch of UX that supports all of marketing at Ally.

The challenge of an internal agency is building the trust needed to take on larger, more sophisticated design projects. Having moved from a production team to a go-to agency, Kimmy now leads a very talented team of both UX Designers and Content Designers focused on crafting intuitive, beautiful experiences that prioritize usability, delight, and driving business value. Her team is known for their flexibility, quality, and ingenuity.