Building Impactful Experiences

👋 Hello, I'm Preston Thomas, a Senior Product Design Leader shaping EdTech products through strategic UX leadership, cross-functional collaboration & high-performing teams.

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Preston Thomas at Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco

My Story

Throughout my career, I’ve led high-performing design teams—delivering user-centered experiences that balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints. I excel at driving strategic UX leadership, design system development, and accessibility initiatives that scale across organizations and create lasting impact.

My leadership approach is rooted in collaboration and mentorship. I believe strong cross-functional partnerships between product, engineering, and design are essential to innovation. By fostering a culture of curiosity, accountability, and creative problem-solving, I help teams deliver experiences that not only delight users but also move the business forward.

Core strengths include:

  • Strategic UX Leadership – shaping product vision through evidence-based design decisions.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration – aligning design, product, and engineering to deliver scalable outcomes.
  • Team Growth & Mentorship – building design talent pipelines and empowering teams to thrive.
  • Scalable Design Systems & Accessibility – driving consistency and inclusivity across products.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue transforming products by blending design strategy, team leadership, and business impact to create the next generation of digital learning experiences.

Design Philosophy

I believe great product design lives at the intersection of human-centered principles, business strategy, and technological possibility. My approach is rooted in the conviction that every design decision should improve the learner’s experience while driving measurable impact for the organization. I lead by fostering collaboration, empowering design teams, and embedding accessibility and inclusivity as core values — not afterthoughts.

Human-Centered Experience Strategy

I advocate for a research-driven, human-centered approach that prioritizes the needs, motivations, and challenges of learners and educators. By grounding design in real-world insights and continuously testing solutions, I ensure products deliver both intuitive usability and meaningful educational outcomes.

Innovation in Learning Experiences

I champion experimentation, emerging technologies, & new modes of engagement to create learning experiences that are effective and inspiring. By exploring approaches — from adaptive learning to immersive interaction — I help organizations deliver products that transform how people learn.

Collaborative Leadership & Organizational Impact

By embedding designers within cross-functional teams and championing agile ways of working, I help organizations connect vision to execution. The result is stronger collaboration, more aligned product strategies, and higher-performing teams that deliver real business value.

Career Journey

Product Design Leader

2022 - Present

McGraw Hill

Lead and mentor EdTech design teams, elevating quality and alignment with business goals. Drive human-centered experience strategy. Strengthen cross-functional collaboration with product, content, marketing, and engineering. Embed agile design workflows. Build a culture of growth.

Creative Manager

2015 - 2022

Aptara

Directed creative strategy and client engagement. Delivered art direction and branding across multiple client platforms. Promoted adoption of UX best practices.

Art Director

2010 - 2015

Cadenece Design Studio

Directed brand and marketing campaigns across digital and print. Built and maintained visual identity strategies. Delivered projects on time with consistent quality.

Design Manager

2008 - 2010

McGraw Hill Higher Education

Managed a design team delivering 100+ higher ed products on time and within budget. Creative Director on flagship projects. Streamlined workflows. Mentored junior designers.

Skills & Expertise

💡 Design Expertise

  • Human-Centered Design (HCD)
  • Accessibility (WCAG, UDL)
  • Design Systems
  • Interaction & Visual Design
  • Prototyping & Usability Testing

🧰 Tools & Platforms

  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Figma
  • Jira | Asana
  • Lucid | Miro
  • Slack | Microsoft Office Suite

🎯 Strategy

  • Experience Strategy
  • Agile Workflow Transformation
  • Creative Direction & Branding
  • Design Systems Thinking
  • Roadmap Planning

🚀 Leadership

  • Stakeholder Communication
  • Change Management
  • Team Management
  • Collaborative Leadership
  • Process Optimization

Beyond Design

When I'm not designing, you'll find me trail running and training for an upcoming ultramarathon. To date, I've run 30+ ultramarathons of various distances including 8x 100Ks and 2x 100 milers. In 2025, I got the pleasure of challenging myself both physically and mentally at one of the most prestigious ultramarathons in the world, Western States 100! The picture to the right was taken in the Italian Alps during the CCC 100K, which is part of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.

I believe that challenging experiences outside of work make me a better leader.

photo of Preston Thomas running CCC 100K at UTMB from Italy into Switzerland, and finishing in France.

Let's Work Together

I'm always excited to take on new challenges and collaborate with passionate teams. Whether you're looking for design leadership, strategic consultation, or hands-on design work, I'd love to hear from you.

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