Designing consumer products that remove the guesswork so people can focus on what matters most to them

6+ years of experience leading design at startups, agencies, and H&R Block, where I simplify complex financial processes for millions of users.

My focus on top-of-funnel and end-to-end strategy helped grow H&R Block’s remotely assisted tax prep by nearly 30%—generating over $20M in revenue.

Most recently, I’ve been bridging the gap between user needs and business growth by uncomplicating DIY tax products, helping users discover the value of premium upgrades and add-on services.

6+ years of experience leading design at startups, agencies, and H&R Block, where I simplify complex financial processes for millions of users.

My focus on top-of-funnel and end-to-end strategy helped grow H&R Block’s remotely assisted tax prep by nearly 30%—generating over $20M in revenue.

Most recently, I’ve been bridging the gap between user needs and business growth by uncomplicating DIY tax products, helping users discover the value of premium upgrades and add-on services.

6+ years of experience leading design at startups, agencies, and H&R Block, where I simplify complex financial processes for millions of users.

My focus on top-of-funnel and end-to-end strategy helped grow H&R Block’s remotely assisted tax prep by nearly 30%—generating over $20M in revenue.

Most recently, I’ve been bridging the gap between user needs and business growth by uncomplicating DIY tax products, helping users discover the value of premium upgrades and add-on services.

Grab my resume

6+ years of experience leading design at startups, agencies, and H&R Block, where I simplify complex financial processes for millions of users.

My focus on top-of-funnel and end-to-end strategy helped grow H&R Block’s remotely assisted tax prep by nearly 30%—generating over $20M in revenue.

Most recently, I’ve been bridging the gap between user needs and business growth by uncomplicating DIY tax products, helping users discover the value of premium upgrades and add-on services.

Grab my resume

Featured Projects

Helping users find a more personalized price estimate

Closing the gap between starting and final pricing for virtual tax prep services, boosting completion rates from 53% → 88%

Showcase

Core UX

Financial services

Read case study

Turning "tax return math" into outcomes H&R Block users can trust

Reducing abandonment by 1.5% by showing clear explanations that helped customers understand how their tax pro got their tax return results

Core UX

Financial services

Read case study

Re-designing virtual tax prep from the ground up

A very brief overview of how H&R Block created 3-year road map to fix their virtual tax prep experience

Core UX

Financial services

Read case study

Helping book lovers create and find communities

Uniting book lovers through lively discussions, community and personalized book recommendations

MVP

Mobile app

Social media

Startup

Assisting patients with doctor choice and evaluation

Helping patients evaluate and choose their doctors/women's healthcare teams

MVP

Healthcare

Desktop

Startup

What it's like to work with me:

"There are so many things I could praise when it comes to Ali, but it really boils down to her work ethic and the way she truly cares about creating the best user experience possible…All in all, she has made my job as a developer so much easier and more enjoyable since joining the team."

David Marshall | Engineer | H&R Block

"What made Ali truly invaluable was her reliability and work ethic. When you're building something from the ground up, you need people who show up, follow through, and take ownership without being asked. Ali did all of that and more."

Chelsee Glover-Odom | Founder | Shelfi

"Ali has a strong instinct for the bigger picture. She connects the dots across teams and asks the right questions. More importantly, she makes sure design decisions aren’t just polished, but that they meaningfully move the product forward."

Madison Read | UX Designer | H&R Block

“I’ve appreciated working with Ali so far even though it’s been brief. She’s asked thoughtful questions to understand the user problem and understand that our project is a hot item. I also appreciate her candor when kicking off the ticket on Monday about how this is more of a business problem than a client problem, but she’d try to find a clear way that this business problem will help with clients."

Brittany Pearl | Product Manager | H&R Block

About Ali

A Quick Intro

I'm Ali 🐠 — meme-slinging, go-getting designer extraordinaire

When I'm not slinging, you'll usually find me with my Kindle in hand reading the next best romantasy series, carefully painting D&D miniatures for my husband's campaigns, or throwing themed parties for our friends here in Denver.

Besides being an avid party host, I'm also a bit of an adventurer and have a knack for finding the unexpected. Like in college, for example, I joined the quidditch team at University of Miami and ended up meeting my husband. Yep, you read that right, I said quidditch 😉

These days I'm channeling that adventurous spirit into playing make-believe with my nephew, discussing books with the ladies at various dive bars throughout the city, and discovering the best breakfast spots.

design Philosophy

Expert Collaboration

Great design happens when everyone’s in the room. I loop engineers and PMs into the "messy middle" of design thinking from the start. By ditching the "big reveal" in favor of radical transparency, we make decisions faster, surface unconventional solutions, and build a culture where the whole team feels true ownership.

Radically Scrappy & Impact-Driven

I thrive in ambiguity and focus on getting stuff done. I don’t fight for a design vision at all costs; I fight for the best outcome for the user and the business. Whether it’s navigating complex technical constraints or de-mystifying a "win-lose" situation, I’m focused on finding the most effective path to a win-win.

Space for Play, Craft, & Bold Risks

I believe "play" is a tool for innovation, not just culture. Exploring "silly" ideas is how we find the high-reward risks worth taking. I pair this experimental mindset with a rigorous eye for detail, ensuring that even the most innovative, "fun" experiences are shipped with the high-fidelity polish and aesthetic precision that mobile users expect.