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Tara Kelly

Founder, UX Product Design Leader & Author

Tara Kelly is the founder of First Designer In, a company she started in July 2021.1 She is an experienced UX and product designer who has worked in the startup world for over a decade.13 Kelly is also the author of the book "First Designer In: From Just Hired to Minimum Viable Design Team in Five Weeks".2

Career Highlights

  • Co-founder at Frontlist.io (May 2023 - Present): A platform to help self-published authors manage their book launches.1
  • Founder at First Designer In (July 2021 - Present): Offers consulting for founders who haven't yet found their first design hire.1
  • Director of Product Design at Second Measure (April 2018 - June 2020).1
  • Director UX & Product Design at SonicWall (February 2016 - February 2018).1
  • Co-founder of Ninua, Inc. and Passpack, where she also led UX and Product Design.1

Education

Kelly holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design (1994 - 1996).1

Expertise

Tara Kelly specializes in solving complex business problems, leading design functions within organizations, and helping startups establish their first design processes and systems.12 Her book and consulting work focus on the non-design responsibilities of being a first designer in a startup environment, including establishing expectations, defining the design role, and creating a design culture.23

Highlights

The Impactful Journey: How the Designer's Experience Shapes the ...
The Impactful Journey: How the Designer's Experience Shapes the ...
Oct 26 · designerfund.com
Demystifying the Founding Designer Role
Jun 13 · reddit.com
First Designer at Startup? : r/UXDesign - Reddit
Sep 9 · designerfund.com
A Founders' Guide to Hiring your First Designer | Designer Fund
Feb 10 · craft.faire.com
What it really means to be a founding designer | by Katie Witkop
Dec 30 · Forbes
Passwords "nightmare" solved storing logins with Passpack - Forbes
Feb 5 · WIRED
In an Internet First, Americans Abroad Cast E-Votes in Democratic ... - WIRED

Related Questions

What inspired Tara Kelly to start First Designer In?
How does Tara Kelly's experience at Second Measure influence her current work?
What are some key takeaways from Tara Kelly's book "First Designer In"?
How does Tara Kelly's approach to UX design differ from traditional methods?
What challenges did Tara Kelly face when founding Frontlist.io?
Tara Kelly
Tara Kelly, photo 1
Tara Kelly, photo 2
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Location

Oakland, California, United States