Congratulations Are In Order
2021 is starting off with lots of excitement and promise. Our team is growing, our client base expanding and some of the first employees we brought into the fold have proven to be true assets. They’ve led the way in hard work, going the extra mile, and consistently performing at a high level. They are focused on self-improvement, team building, and respected by their colleagues. They’ve accomplished all of this while transitioning seamlessly into a remote work environment during what has been a crazy year. Join us in congratulating some very special XDSers.
Tiffany Brynn, Director, User Experience
Tiffany was the first official full-time hire for XDS. However, there is a long-running faux-feud going on between Mark & Tiff. They were both brought on as contractors in 2018 and the title of “official” first employee is still being heavily debated! Tiffany started as a Digital Strategist + UX Designer and has since stepped into the role of UX Strategist, and has now been promoted to director level.
What Tiffany has to say about her career at XDS:
Q: Describe your journey with the company.
I’m lucky to have been a part of XDS essentially since the inception! It’s been a privilege to see Doug + Shai’s vision for a nimble, experience-focused healthcare agency truly flourish. Their vision has scaled almost seamlessly during the major growth we’ve seen in the past few years.
Q: A couple of my favorite projects with XDS are:
Clinical trial recruitment for rare disease + oncology investigative treatments. KPIs & conversion metrics mean so much more when they’re about potentially life-changing therapies. Also Global drug launch for a first-in-category DMT – It’s an honor to drive UX & accessibility efforts for a major pharmaceutical product that will change lives in this disease category.
Q. Best perk at XDS?
Honestly, the top perk at XDS is having leadership that prioritizes diversity + inclusivity from the top down. One of the most common questions I’ve been asked by candidates in our interview process is about how XDS has handled the global & national events that have unfolded over the past year — & I’ve been proud to be able to share that our leadership has prioritized employees’ safety during the COVID-19 pandemic and that they’ve also made policy changes + public statements + our new XDS Cares division all focused on our beliefs prioritizing human rights. The past year has been so uncertain & unstable — being a part of a company that puts people first means the world to me & my coworkers!
Q. What are you most excited about in your new role?
I am honored & excited to continue advocating for health tech users — being a part of progressive & forward-thinking healthcare UX solutions is a legacy I’m proud to continue shaping.
Q. What makes XDS different from other companies you have worked for?
The healthy & people-focused culture at XDS is in stark contrast to many other organizations I’ve been a part of. Putting people first is not only just the right thing to do — but it empowers employees to be innovative & create/work in a grander/higher capacity.
Mark Broomell, Director, Technology
Mark came to XDS as a lead developer on a small team and has grown to hold a director-level position in technology, an ever-growing department. He was one of the original XDSers brought on initially to work on Shockwave Medical’s website redesign. Shockwave has grown to be one of our largest and oldest clients with Mark continuing to lead the technology expansion.
What Mark has to say about his career at XDS:
Q. Describe your journey with the company.
It has absolutely been a growing experience. Every week is a new challenge, but I’m given the space and opportunity to learn and teach with my team.
Q. What do you find most fulfilling about what you do?
From a technical standpoint, the most fulfilling part is working in such a wide variety of different technologies. Otherwise, we have a great team at XDS that’s eager to learn and I find seeing us all improve together and educating each other is the most fulfilling part of the position.
Q. Best perk at XDS?
It’s really hard to beat Doordash.
Q. What are you most excited about in your new role?
Growing the services we can offer our clients and giving more education opportunities for our developers!
Q. What makes XDS different from other companies you have worked for?
There’s a strong atmosphere of ‘personality first’ hiring that has benefited our communication both internally and externally as opposed to hiring based on skills alone.
Amy Merenlender, Director, Production
Amy came to XDS as a Senior Digital Producer brought on to establish and build the project management team. Her experience and management skills have gained her high praise here at The Experience Design Studio. She has been integral to implementing best practices, outlining processes, and managing a rapidly growing team and client base.
What Amy has to say about her career at XDS:
Q. Describe your journey with the company.
When I came on board we were a small team. I initially helped implement a process as well as manage projects, and XDS quickly began to grow by leaps and bounds! As our company grew, I also was given the opportunity to grow, taking on more responsibilities and now I am managing the Production team. The journey, so far, has been fun, filled with dad jokes, gifs, laughs, and lots of work with a great team!
Q. What do you find most fulfilling about what you do?
As a manager, the most fulfilling part of what I do is making sure that I have taken my past experiences and used them to fuel how I work with my team to create a positive and productive work environment.
Q. Best perk at XDS?
Not sure if this is a “perk” but Work/Life balance would be it for me. I have 2 young kids, and coming back to work from maternity leave during a pandemic was stressful in and of itself. XDS has really given me a tremendous amount of support that I really needed during this time.
Q. What are you most excited about in your new role?
I’m most excited about working with my team to continue to refine and maintain processes as we continue to grow!
Q. What makes XDS different from other companies you have worked for?
Lots of room for growth!
Will Figueiredo, Senior Web Developer
Will has been with The Experience Design Studio from the beginning and was the 1st hire on Mark’s development team. He was instrumental in XDS’s initial project with Rubius Therapeutics developing their award-winning intranet. His work helped forge the relationship with Rubius, one of our longest running clients. Will is also our in house email wiz, working magic behind the scenes to achieve maximum results.
What Will has to say about his career at XDS:
Q. What do you find most fulfilling about what you do?
What I find most fulfilling about what I do is bringing ideas to life to create something that will be seen and used by many people. After all the hours, that website will live on for a while to help provide users with the information they need, unlike some jobs where hours are poured into something that’s used once.
Q. Describe your journey with the company.
It’s been a wild ride. I started out as the second developer on the team and the fourth full time hire made by Shai and Doug. Almost two years later and we have a development team of eight and a full roster of over 20 great people. The growth I’ve witnessed and had the pleasure to be a part of is amazing.
Q. What are you most excited about in your new role?
I’m most excited about taking on new responsibilities and challenges. I want to continue to grow and move up and this new role is a step forward to where I want to be.
Chen Reichert, Senior Experience Designer
Chen started with XDS as an experience designer 2 years ago and through hard work and dedication has been promoted to Senior Experience Designer. Chen started her journey with XDS as a freelancer working on projects for Learning Ally and Shockwave Medical, and her skills did not disappoint.
What Chen has to say about her career at XDS:
Q. What do you find most fulfilling about what you do?
Many of our clients have a common theme, they want to help patients with difficult health conditions. I love being able to create designs that are clear and engaging and help patients and doctors understand new technology or medicine that will benefit them.
Q. Best perk at XDS?
Friendly atmosphere, remote work flexibility, and dad jokes.
Q. What are you most excited about in your new role?
Getting to see a project from start to finish and engaging with clients more often.
Q. What makes XDS different from other companies you have worked for?
The leadership team is really approachable which makes for a very open environment to ask questions and discuss work and life events. They also do a great job of hiring kind and collaborative people who all enjoy obscure Emojis.
Yi Zeng, Digital Producer
Yi came on board as an associate digital producer about a year ago. Her unrelenting quest for knowledge and “I can do anything” attitude is beyond impressive. Yi punches well above her weight, first to jump in on any task big or small including project management, data analysis, and paid media. And to add yet another notch to her belt, her PowerPoint skills are revered by all.
What Yi has to say about her career at XDS:
Q. Describe your journey with the company.
I joined XDS in January 2020 as an associate digital producer in the Ambler office.
Q. What do you find most fulfilling about what you do?
Most of our clients are in the healthcare/pharma industry, so my work could potentially save people’s lives.
Q. Best perk at XDS?
Flexibility in work schedule and location.
Q. What are you most excited about in your new role?
I’m excited to continue learning and growing with the company.
Q. What makes XDS different from other companies you have worked for?
Independence, transparency, and trust.