Allison Smith
Allison J. Smith is a Senior UX and Product Designer with over a decade of experience designing innovative, user-centered solutions for fast-paced and often ambiguous environments. She specializes in SaaS enterprise platforms and has led strategy, research, and end-to-end design for complex systems across industries including logistics, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and government contracting, notably with the U.S. Army.
A defining strength of Allison’s career is her ability to merge design leadership, education, and strategic thinking. With a Master’s degree in Art and Digital Design Education, she has not only practiced design at the highest level but also taught it, equipping her with the ability to break down complex methodologies, foster collaboration, and elevate design maturity across cross-functional teams. Her approach emphasizes aligning design decisions with both user needs and business goals to drive measurable impact.
Currently, Allison is serving as a contractor for Activu, where she contributes to the development of their new Wall project. In this role, she collaborates on product strategy, ideates new feature concepts, and helps shape the product roadmap, ensuring the resulting application delivers an intuitive and scalable user experience. Her work focuses on creating solutions that are both user-centered and aligned with organizational objectives.
Throughout her career, Allison has held key roles at companies such as UPS and Kroger, leading entire product lines, guiding product teams in lean, agile environments, and championing design thinking across organizations. From launching MVPs to scaling enterprise solutions, she combines deep expertise in user experience with a passion for design excellence, consistently improving usability and driving business growth.
• Empower your workforce with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Challenge Use Case - 2025
• Empower your workforce with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Customer Service Use Case - 2025
• Empower your workforce with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Finance Use Case - 2025
• Empower your workforce with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Operations Use Case - 2025
• Introduction to AI - 2025
• Discover the Art of Prompting - 2025
• Using AI Responsibly - 2025
• Introduction to Generative AI - 2025
• Analyzing Qualitative UX Data and Reporting - 2024
• Design Thinking: Customer Experience - 2019
• UX Research Methods - 2019
• Zeplin for UX Design - 2019
• UX Research for Agile Teams - 2019
• Learn Axure RP: Beyond the Basics - 2017
• UX Design Techniques: Creating Personas - 2014
• Arizona State University - BFA
• Monmouth University - MA
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the incredible mentors and family who shaped my journey. My late Aunt Elaine Smith and my father have been the backbone of my career, providing unwavering support and guidance. Andrea Dunn, a Product Owner at UPS, was also a remarkable mentor—she created a supportive environment, keeping the pressure low during hectic times, and remains a valued connection in my professional network. One of my proudest achievements was at UPS, where I managed five products simultaneously without a program or design system under a critical timeline. I navigated ambiguity, increased revenue by over 50% in Europe, and implemented an app to optimize delivery with third-party routing navigation.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the industry is simple: believe in yourself and your ideas, never stop learning, and keep driving toward the vision of what you want. Confidence and persistence are as critical as skill, and your ideas can truly make an impact if you remain committed.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value both personal and professional fulfillment. Teaching has been a cornerstone of my life; I taught Graphic and Web Design in high school and college, and my students won awards at Ocean City High School. I also built programs for students to collaborate with local businesses on web design and branding projects. One of my favorite projects was guiding students to create a mural using Adobe Illustrator designs, which was then turned into a mosaic that still exists at the school. I hope to return to teaching one day, perhaps through night school design courses. Outside of work, I focus on personal growth and creativity. I love working out, listening to music, traveling, exploring AI, cooking, and making fall soups. One of my long-term dreams is to open a soup kitchen to combine my love for food and community service.
Locations
Smith Dezign
Manasquan, NJ 08736