Notable Wins
“A pattern runs through many consumer goods Product Development initiatives: less time, less loose hardware, less need for a second pair of hands. If a customer has to fight a product to assemble or install it, I see that as a design problem to solve — not a support ticket to file.”
ClickReady: Cabinet Assembly System Pitched to Directors and Merchandisers
The Home Depot RTA furniture has a universal problem: long assembly times, loose parts, and a bad first experience. I set out to fix it — sourcing a specialty hardware vendor, proving the concept to directors and merchandisers, and building the program from a cold call into a category-defining product line.
Sourced and vetted a specialty connector vendor, then led prototyping across 3+ Asian manufacturers
Sole point of contact linking vendor, factory, engineering, and merchandising from concept through production
Managed the iterative prototype process — running structured reviews at every round, documenting what worked, what didn't, and what needed to change
The focal point for every product review, translating engineering and customer feedback into a polished sample merchandising didn't just approve — they loved
Recognized a gap in how the product was showing up online and partnered with industrial design to sharpen its web presence — making sure the innovation actually read as innovation to a customer scrolling past it
Proved the hardware's scalability beyond its original use case — expanding from 100+ RTA kitchen cabinet SKUs under Hampton Bay into bathroom vanities and laundry tub cabinets across additional Home Depot private brands
The vendor didn't just supply hardware — they consulted directly with the manufacturing factories, becoming a real technical partner in getting the product right
Made the business case beyond the customer experience win — reduced package volume cut shipping costs and distribution center handling fees, while giving DIYers and contractors an easier way to transport cabinets and credenzas themselves
Result: independently lab-tested at up to 3x faster assembly and 2.5x stronger than the leading competitor, holding a 4.7-star average across 160+ reviews.
Bath Fan Redesign: Clip-Lock Installation System
The Home Depot set out to refresh a room-side bath fan with reduced noise and new light features…my focus was the part customers actually touch: installation. I led design of a patented clip-lock mounting system that sandwiches the drywall for structural support, solving the pain points that make bath fan installs a headache for contractors and homeowners alike..
Partnered with two supplier candidates to prototype the mounting concept, giving each clear product goals around customer experience, structural integrity, and certification requirements
Organized and led sample review sessions at every iteration, including hands-on evaluation events with professional contractors to pressure-test real-world installation
Compiled contractor and internal feedback into decks that drove design changes — refining part geometry and the clip mechanism until installation felt intuitive, not just functional
Built the business case around installation time savings — a value story for both contractors (faster job-site turnaround) and customers (lower install cost)
Extended ownership beyond engineering into details that shape first impressions — part color choices and a 3-step quick-start guide, partnering with a graphic designer to translate the install sequence into something faster than a full instruction manual
Vetted suppliers alongside merchandising on both engineering capability and business fit, landing on a partner strong in both