Hey! I’m Nate, the UX Design Manager at Paychex. I’m also a writer, speaker, and author of Building UX: A Handbook for UX Development and Career Growth. My passion lies in the field of design, where I thrive on teaching, coaching, and leading designers to grow their skills and careers. Nothing is more fulfilling to me than helping elevate UX at the individual, organizational, and community levels.

I come from a family of craftsmen, engineers, and artists, growing up surrounded by oil canvases, drafting tables, wooden sculptures, soldering irons, and scrap material. These early experiences taught me that design is about transformation—turning raw, seemingly worthless materials into something purposeful and balanced. Design fills a void with intention, combining aesthetics and functionality in a way that solves real problems.

My journey as a designer began in 2005 during a high school Photoshop class. A year later, a local business owner recognized my work and offered me an entry-level graphic design job. That first role shaped my career, introducing me to the fundamentals of design under the guidance of an incredible mentor.

I didn’t follow a traditional path into design; instead, I learned from mentors who poured their expertise into me. Ryan Murphy, Jason Hamrock, and Davin Granroth have each played pivotal roles in my growth. Ryan laid the foundational principles that I still rely on today. Jason pushed me to expand my skills across multiple disciplines, from branding to web design, and even helped me co-found a design firm. Davin took my broad experience and refined it, teaching me the deeper meaning of design, the importance of balance, and how to lead and care for others in the discipline. Thanks to their influence, I grew not just as a designer but as a leader.

Over the years, I’ve worn many hats—Graphic Designer, Web Designer, Creative Director, UX Practitioner, Design Manager, Director of Design Education, Chief Strategy Officer and more—each role adding depth to my understanding of the field. Today, as UX Design Manager at Paychex, I lead a talented team of designers dedicated to crafting user-centered solutions that align with our product goals and objectives. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, I foster a culture of innovation, research, and user-centricity to ensure our designs resonate with users and contribute to Paychex's mission and growth.

At my core, I am committed to helping designers thrive, mature their skills, and make meaningful contributions to the organizations and communities they serve.