Norman Tran

is a product designer with 8+ years of service design experience, specializing in user-centered solutions across SaaS, education, mental health, and productivity. He has partnered with clients like Amazon, IDEO, and Facebook to deliver programs impacting thousands of learners worldwide. Most recently, at Shimmer, a YC-backed startup, Norman led the redesign of their web and mobile platform. By bridging service and product design, he tackles complex challenges with an interdisciplinary, systems-driven approach.

Beyond design, Norman occasionally teaches workshops on advanced communication skills, serving clients like Figma, Affirm, and Greenhouse.

B2C, Desktop & Mobile, UX / UI, Research

Shimmer
Personalizing ADHD coaching through assessments

Role: Lead Product Designer
Time: Jan 2024 - Mar 2024

As Lead Product Designer, I led the Wheel of Life Assessment design, which helps clients get the most out of their coaching experiences through a comprehensive audit across 15 areas of their lives. I worked closely with the CEO and CTO to design and launch the feature, now a core part of our 2000+ members' coaching journeys. 

B2C, Desktop & Mobile, UX / UI, Research

Shimmer
De-shaming ADHD by sharing
community perspectives

Role: Lead Product Designer
Time: Jan - Mar 2024

I joined Shimmer as a Lead Designer and led the Community Polls design, which helps clients connect with one another beyond their 1:1 connection with coaches so that they can feel less alone and feel a sense of belonging as a community overcoming similar challenges. I worked closely with the CEO and CTO to design and launch the feature, now used daily by our 2500+ paying coaching clients.

B2C, Web Design, Brand, Product Strategy

Relating Between the Lines 
Launching an online school for communication skills

Role: Co-Founder, Designer
Time: June 2020 - Jan 2024

As the Co-Founder and Designer, I set out to start a modern school for communication skills because we all deserve to have healthy relationships regardless of our upbringing. Think Brene Brown meets Stanford d.school. I wore many hats, spanning brand strategy, messaging, copywriting, art direction, packaging design, web design, product development, hiring & training, sales, and content development. 

B2C, Desktop & Mobile, UX / UI

Facebook + Pathstream
Bridging the digital skills gap for front-line workers, one resume at a time

Role: UX & Learning Design Consultant
Time: Feb 2019 - Mar 2019

As a UX & Learning Consultant, I worked with education consultancy Pathstream to improve both the UX experience and learning design for the Learn With Facebook (now Meta Blueprint) platform to better provide digital skills for frontline workers. My project focused on improving the "Boost Your Resume" module, where I brought more humanness, personalization, and practical takeaways to the responsive web experience. 

B2B & B2C, Desktop & Mobile, UX / UI

Tradecraft 
Helping smart people design
their next big career move

Role: Head Instructor, Product Design
Time: 2018-2020

As a Head Instructor of Product Design, I was tasked with updating and managing recurring three-month in-person intensives that help professionals break into product design. Responsibilities included curriculum design for technical and soft skills, as well as managing an agency that placed participants in high-growth startup roles for real-world experience.

B2C, Visual Design, Service Design

MissionU 
Preparing underserved adults for the future of work 

Role: Service Design Program Manager
Time: 2017 - 2018

As the Service Design Program Manager (Employee #5), I was tasked with creating a year’s worth of curriculum and collateral for a new hybrid online/in-person college for underserved adults. I developed two classes: Success by Design (self-awareness), and Interpersonal Lab (interpersonal dynamics). Students left rave reviews such as "this class alone was worth moving across the country for."

Visual Design, Branding, Design Sprints

D.tech + Stanford d.school  
Creating cultures of experimentation
in high schools

Role: Designer in Residence
Time: 2016-2017

Funded by a grant from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to accelerate Design Tech High's (d.tech) implementation of new learning models, I was brought in as a Designer in Residence for 8 months to collaborate with the Stanford d.school to (1) improve d.tech's design programming for students; and (2) create various resources to help staff adopt design thinking as a change management process. 

B2B, Desktop, UX / UI. Research

Declara - 
Helping knowledge workers learn faster, together 

Role: Product Designer
Time: 2014-2015

Between 2014 and 2015, I designed a variety of key features for Declara, a knowledge-sharing platform, including Sign-Up, Onboarding, Insights & Discussions, Home Feed, B2B Channels, and Content Authoring. I worked closely with the VP of product, PM's, and engineering across the entire design process, from research to design to prototype to rollout.

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Let's talk about design or communication.