Nikki Singer
Nikki Singer is a User Experience Architecture Manager at Robert Half, where she leads a team of seven UX architects across multiple work streams ensuring alignment with business objectives and delivering scalable human centered digital experiences. With over 10 years of experience in UX design she has built a career grounded in curiosity empathy and a deep understanding of how people interact with technology. Her leadership spans both UX architects and designers with a consistent focus on solving the core question what problem are we solving for.
Her connection to technology runs deep and personal she grew up surrounded by it with a father Frank who was a programmer and an older brother Chris who is also a programmer. From an early age she was immersed in digital tools even helping her mother and other hockey families create team yearbooks for her brothers hockey teams. After college she began her career in advertising and marketing but quickly realized her passion lay elsewhere. Encouraged by her father who believed UX would be a better fit for her strengths she transitioned into user experience design and never looked back.
Over the course of her career Nikki has grown into both a strategic and hands on UX leader combining research information architecture and design systems thinking to shape meaningful digital experiences. In addition to her corporate role she runs a consulting side business focused on web design branding and supporting female founders of small businesses an extension of her passion for women supporting women and empowering others at every stage of their journey. Looking ahead she aspires to step into a Director of UX Strategy role where she can focus on end to end customer experience and broader strategic impact across organizations.
• Kent State University - MUXD
• SUNY Oneonta - BS, Communication Studies
• Communicators Award – Gold – MCA Octopus Initiative
• W3 – Gold Award – Indivisible
• W3 – Silver Award – Center for Court Innovation - User Experience
• Supporting female founders and small business owners through web design and branding consulting
• Food For Thought Denver
What do you attribute your success to?
I consider myself a quick learner, and once I commit to something, I'm all in. I'll go down a rabbit hole and try to learn as much as possible. I've always been a good student and I enjoy learning in general, so I think that helps. I'm very inquisitive and ask a lot of questions, and through that involvement, I end up forming relationships with people. They see how interested I am and tend to gravitate towards that, bringing me into other areas where I meet more people. Over time, you form a network of contacts and you learn a lot, maybe even a little bit quicker. I'm a pretty determined person - it's always been part of who I am. I've also been really lucky to meet some great people in my career who have become awesome mentors for me. My whole philosophy is that you don't need to be cutthroat or play politics to get ahead. I believe that you can make it far just being yourself and being kind. Kindness goes a long way. Being kind, honest, transparent, and just yourself will get you farther than anything else. That's a huge philosophy of mine and something I will not change or fudge on.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my dad, who was a man of few words. One day he simply told me, 'I think you should change your career to UX.' At the time, I was working in advertising and marketing, and I realized he was right - I didn't want to do advertising anymore. That advice completely changed the trajectory of my career and led me to where I am today in UX design, doing work that I'm truly passionate about.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are authenticity, kindness, and supporting other women. I firmly believe that you don't need to play politics or be cutthroat to succeed in corporate environments. You can make it far just being yourself and being kind, honest, and transparent. Kindness goes a long way, and that's a philosophy I will never compromise on. Women supporting women is another huge value for me - I'm passionate about empowering women in all stages of life, which is why I started my side business specifically to help and support female founders of small businesses. Everything I do is for my two little girls, ages 4 and 2. They're my everything and a huge inspiration. Setting a good example for them drives me, even on days when I don't feel like going to work. Family is incredibly important to us, and we prioritize being outdoors together, whether that's hiking, camping, biking, or paddleboarding. Being outside and staying active as a family is a core value in our lives.